Revelation
by DarkManedFox
Summary: [Post-canon/Darkfic][A sequel to Bayleef's Silent Sacrifice] Yugi was hearing voices after the Pharaoh left. As old enemies return, Yugi and his friends slowly uncover the Pharaoh's fate beyond the Eye of Wadjet.
1. Revelation 1

**********__************_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!_**

**Reality Check (Please always keep this in mind when reading every chapter of every story):**  
Stories are just stories... they are only for your imagination so DON'T apply into reality anything unreal, wrong, stupid, dangerous, and badly prejudiced... (duh!).

**Author's notes:**  
-Please refer to my profile if you have any questions regarding anything about the entire story (from first chapter to last, from writing style to ideas...anything)... If the answers are not in my profile, then send me a message...

(don't hesitate... I don't bite...^v^)

-Hi everyone… I'm back… here's another fic… This fic is my sequel/version to Bayleef's Silent Sacrifice. Hope you will enjoy…

* * *

**The Parting**

"COME ON… WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE OR ELSE WE WILL ALL BE CRUSHED"

Joey yelled at the others as the ceremonial battle stage was coming down upon them. He, Yugi, and the others were all running away from the sealed doors of the Eye of Wdjat, trying to avoid the falling debris.

"Goodbye Ya—I mean—Atem. We will miss you." Yugi whispered, tears forming in his eyes as he and the others rushed towards the exit.

_Something does not feel right…_

Unknown to them, Shadi was watching as they escaped the crushing rocks, keeping his gaze locked onto the group.

_This will not be the last time, my friends…_

_The Pharaoh needs you…._

_Time will come when you will see each other again…_

The group got out of the tunnel just in time as they turned back to watch the entrance completely disappear under smoke and rubble.

"So… this is it? Is this the end?" Tristan inquired as he stared at Yugi and the others.

"Why don't you wrap it up with one of your speeches, Yug" Joey coaxed a pondering Yugi.

"Oh…Uh… Well, the end of every adventure is the beginning of another…" Yugi stated as he and the rest of the gang looked up into the glistening sun of Egypt.

"Are you dweebs ready to leave this place? Or, are you gonna burn your eyes out staring at the sun…" Kaiba snarled as he went back towards the boat with Mokuba at his heels.

The four friends stared at the grumpy CEO as he and his brother walked passed Duke, Ryou, Grandpa Mutou, and the three Ishtars.

"NOBODY INVITED YOU HERE, KAIBA…" Joey roared as he tried to rush towards the CEO, raising his fist in midair. "SO DON'T ACT ALL COMMANDER- IN-CHIEF WITH US"

"Calm down, Joey… He's not worth it" Tristan snapped as he grabbed Joey, preventing him from attacking Kaiba.

"Once a mutt… Always a mutt…" Kaiba sneered as he and Mokuba walked towards the boat, followed by the others.

"THAT'S RIGHT, RICH BOY… WALK AWAY WHILE YOU STILL CAN." Joey retorted as Tristan released him from the weird headlock.

"C'mon you guys, let's just go…" Yugi said sadly as he walked towards the boat with his head down…

"Yugi…" Joey began. He approached his friend and placed a hand on his downcast shoulder. "Remember what he told ya Yug… You and the Pharaoh will never be truly apart…" Joey said softly. "Friends like him are impossible to forget…"

Yugi stared up at Joey with big round amethyst eyes full of tears and nodded in agreement. He then turned to look at Tristan and Tea.

"Tea…"

Tea had been unusually quiet. Ever since they got out of the tunnel, she has never said a word. She looked up into Yugi's round eyes, giving him a small smile in response then looked back down the ground again in an attempt to hide her tears…

"Seriously guys… It's time to leave…"

The four friends looked towards the boat and saw the others already there, waiting for them…

"Alright… alright… we're comin" Joey whined as he, and the other three started walking towards the boat.

"For a second there, I thought you wanted to join the pharaoh…" Duke joked as he stood aside to let the four pass. "Ok… nobody's in a joking mood…"

"DUH… there's nothing funny about what you said, Duke!" Tristan said loudly as he grabbed Duke by the neck. "He's gone… dead…We are never gonna see him again

and—" He was cut off by a painful nudge on his side, courtesy of Joey.

"What was that for?" Tristan hissed as he rubbed the offended part in pain. Joey made a quiet gesture towards Yugi and Tea. "Oh… Sorry…" Tristan stammered, finally understanding Joey's silent message.

The gang settled in as the boat started its course towards the sunset…


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Broken Hearts**

"Tea… What are you doing out here?"

Tea quickly wiped her tears as she looked away from the edge of the deck to face Yugi, who was standing a few meters away from her.

Hours had passed since the Pharaoh left. The ink black sky was splattered with countless stars. The moon illuminated the natural beauty of Egypt as the cool breeze felt like a blanket of comfort from the day's extreme heat.

The boat was moving on a steady course towards their destination, Cairo, the place where Yugi and his friends will fly back home to Domino City, returning to their normal lives now that the Pharaoh has left this world.

"Oh…Um… I… I just needed some fresh air." Tea said quickly, avoiding Yugi's gaze. "What about you?"

"I couldn't sleep…" Yugi stated as he slowly walked towards Tea. "I… I'm… just not used to… not having him around…"

"He made such a big difference in our lives…" Tea stated as her voice quivered as tears fell from her eyes. "He saved the world… We may have had some hard times but he brought us so much hope… joy…determination… confidence… and many other good things that got us out of trouble and strengthened our friendship … He taught Joey and Tristan about determination and loyalty… He gave you self confidence…He saved Ryou and Marik from the shadows… He even managed to soften Kaiba's heart a little bit…He helped so many people… He was such a great man… and… I never got the chance to tell him… how much I love him…"

After that last statement, Tea broke down. She started sobbing at Yugi's shoulder.

"Oh… Tea…" Yugi whispered while stroking the back of the crying brunette's head

_I have always known… about your feelings….For the Pharaoh…_

_I just wish… you will feel the same way…_

_About me…_

Yugi mentally slapped himself. He continued comforting Tea, who was still crying on his shoulder.

"Tea… there is nothing we can do…he's not a part of our time… he needs to be with his own generation… his own family…. his home…" Yugi mumbled as fresh tears escaped his tired eyes.

"But… we've been so happy together… it's just… it's just… so difficult to let go…" Tea sobbed.

"C'mon Tea, we can't stay here…" Yugi continued as he started to lead Tea towards the rooms. "We need to rest… We need it for tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Departure**

Yugi and his friends were finally at the Cairo Airport, ready to leave for Domino. The Kaibas went to a different terminal to fly home in their Blue Eyes White jet.

"So this is it for us then…" Yugi said quietly to the Ishtars. "Thank you so much for everything…" he stated as he bowed to express his gratitude.

"There is no need to thank us Yugi." Marik replied. "It was our duty as the tomb keepers." He looked at Odion and Ishizu. "Now, with our mission finished, we can finally live normal lives and pursue our dreams…"

"I'm proud of you Marik." Ishizu said happily as she placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. "I'm glad you have finally let go of the grudge you have had against the Pha—" She stopped without finishing the last word as she noticed the sad expressions of the Pharaoh's four closest friends, especially that of Yugi and Tea.

"It's okay you guys…" Yugi stated, forcing a smile on his sad face. "C'mon, we better get going or we'll miss our flight."

Yugi and his friends turned away from the Ishtars and walked towards the boarding zone, waving goodbye to the three former tomb keepers. The four close friends followed by Duke, Grandpa Mutou, and Ryou went through the boarding zone, leading straight to the plane bound for Japan, Domino City.

"Good morning everyone, this is your Captain Leandro speaking. As we are taxiing towards the runway, please take a moments' time to watch the flight safety video…" 

"I can't believe we are finally going home… to Domino City…" Joey stated quietly, gazing away from the video playing in front of him. "So much has happened… we have been through so many weird adventures together… adventures that are probably impossible to forget"

"You're right, Joey. We'll remember everything we've done with the Pharaoh…" Yugi told him as he stared out the window. "Look! It's Kaiba"

The others stared at their respective windows. They then saw Kaiba's jet flying next to them before it disappeared into the horizon as it sped up.

"That show off…" Joey grumbled before settling down in his seat in a relaxed position.

"I… can't believe… it is over…" Yugi quietly stated as he watched his friends… _Pharaoh… … Wherever you are… I promise I will never forget you…_

"_Yugi…"_

"_Yugi…"_

Yugi jerked up so suddenly that Tea barely managed to avoid his swinging arm.

"Yugi, what's with you…" Tea asked anxiously as she grasped a frightened Yugi by the shoulders.

"Is something wrong, Yug??" Joey asked as he and Tristan turned their heads to look at Yugi and Tea behind them.

"Did…. you… hear that…??" Yugi stammered as he was looking around for the source of the eerie voice.

"Hear what, Yug?" Tristan inquired, cocking his head a bit as he looked at the small spiky haired teen.

"That weird voice calling out my name…" Yugi whispered as he slouched, avoiding his friends' concerned looks.

"That's just probably the stress talking…" Duke added from behind Yugi. "Just relax Yug. Everything will be alright once arrive at Domino"

"Ok…" Yugi replied as he calmed down.

_But why do I feel…_

_That things are not gonna be alright_….


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Return to Domino**

"Finally… that was one long flight… I'm glad to be back on solid ground…" Grandpa Mutou sighed while stretching himself, following his grandchild and his friends.

They were dragging their luggage towards the Domino Airport exit when they spotted some familiar faces rushing towards them…

"YUGI-POO" Rebecca screamed in delight as she threw herself on Yugi. Joey and the others snickered while Tea bit her lip and clenched her fist in anger as she stared at Rebecca hugging Yugi.

_This brat doesn't know her own limits…_

"BIG BROTHER" Serenity cried as she rushed passed Yugi, Rebecca, and Tea, heading towards Joey.

"Serenity, I really—" Joey was cut off as Duke and Tristan rushed passed him in an attempt to get to Serenity first before the other. "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT" He retorted as he grabbed the two by the collar.

"Rebecca let go…. I can't… breathe" Yugi stuttered as Rebecca tightened her grip

"Sorry, Yugi-poo" Rebecca chirped as she released Yugi from her iron cast hug and nuzzled his chest. "I just really missed you… Why didn't you tell me that you were going to Egypt??"

"Well, you found out about it anyway… so… what's the point??" Tea sarcastically asked a now annoyed Rebecca.

"You are just being grumpy because I have Yugi-poo and you just lost that trouble making nameless pharaoh you are so in love with" Rebecca spat, rolling her eyes at mentioning the pharaoh.

Rebecca's words were like white hot knives that stabbed Tea's heart. She completely fell silent as she stared at her feet, tears forming in her cerulean eyes.

"Rebecca, just because you don't like Atem doesn't mean he is a trouble maker…" Yugi stated angrily, his voice quivering with controlled rage upon hearing what Rebecca just said.

"He's a pharaoh! It isn't his fault that he has enemies because of his status… He's a confident, friendly, wise, helpful, and good person… In case you don't know, he sealed himself inside the puzzle to save the world from utter destruction!! If it wasn't for his sacrifice, none of us would be here… And I thought you were supposed to be a genius!!!" Yugi snapped at a startled Rebecca.

Rebecca stared at Yugi aghast before turning away. "Oh…I…um…"

"Sorry… I just got carried away" Yugi added quickly, noticing that Rebecca's eyes watering. "But still… Atem's a great guy… a wise, kindhearted Pharaoh… and a valuable friend… so … I'm not saying that you have to like him, Rebecca… Just don't talk about him like that when we're around… we really consider him as an important part of our lives…"

Rebecca stepped back from Yugi with eyes struggling to restrain the fresh tears from falling. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… it's just that… whenever I think about him… I associate him with what happened with the Orichalcos… I… I shouldn't generalize his behavior because of that…" Rebecca said apologetically, trying to avoid Yugi's eyes. "sooo… Atem, huh… That's the Nameless Pharaoh's lost name… Guess now we don't have to call him 'nameless' anymore…" she joked, trying to relieve the tension she just caused.

"Sugoruko, it's so good to see you, my friend, you too, Yugi and company"

Grandpa Mutou and the others turned towards the sound and saw Professor Arthur Hawkins walking towards them wearing his usual sophisticated smile.

"Arthur, it's so good to see you again… It's pretty obvious that you got my message, so a thank you is in order here" Sugoruko cheerfully stated while shaking his old friend's hand. "I also take it that you received the other message, concerning the reason why Yugi and his friends went to Egypt…"

"Yes I did…" Arthur replied as he gazed at Yugi. "I'm happy for the Pharaoh… He finally found peace… If you don't mind telling me, what is his long lost name??"

"His name is Atem, Professor" Yugi replied. After that answer, Yugi heard the same eerie voice he heard earlier at the plane…

"_He needs you… He's not where you all think he is…"_

"Yugi?? Earth to Yugi…"

Yugi snapped back into reality as he noticed Tristan's hand waving in front of his face and the others staring at him.

"Man… You have got to stop doing that…" Tristan sighed as he finally saw Yugi's response. "Is there something wrong, Yug??"

"It's that same voice again, you guys… from the plane … It doesn't feel right" Yugi told them. His eyes started contracting from fear.

"Relax, Yug. I bet you're just jetlagged" Joey assured his spiky, tri-colored haired friend as he placed his hand on his shoulder. "C'mon you guys, I don't know about you, but I so wanna go back home and relax…"

"The car is parked outside" Professor Hawkins stated as he led the group out of the airport. "Your friends are right, Yugi. You have been through so much. It's about time you relax and enjoy a normal life. I'm sure that's what the Pharaoh wants you to do"


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Hiya everyone… I'd like to point out that there will be some new characters here that may not have appeared in the anime, but are correlated (philosophical definition) to the characters… I've made up some names for them… I'm sure you can tell who those characters are…**

**

* * *

**

**Home**

"Last stop, the Kame Game Shop." Professor Hawkins announced as they were nearing the Mutou residence. Yugi and Grandpa Mutou sighed in relief.

_Finally… Home sweet home…_

Yugi, his grandfather, Professor Hawkins, and Rebecca got out of the car and stretched themselves. They had brought the others home first before arriving at the Kame Game Shop. The sky has turned into a fiery orange as the sun went down to end the day.

"YUGI…DAD, You're finally back!!" cried Yugi's mother, Selena, as she rushed out of the house, followed by Yugi's father. They both gave their son and Grandpa Mutou a big hug.

"Mom… Dad… It's so good to see you again…" Yugi stated happily as he felt both his parents embrace him and his grandfather. "Dad… when did you arrive?? I thought you were on a business trip…"

Yugi's father, James Mutou, had a smile plastered on his face as he embraced his son and father. He's been away for almost 10 years. He had spiky black hair but it was positioned differently compared to Yugi's, except for the bangs. He also had amethyst, bowl shaped eyes like his father, Suguruko, making him look like a younger and taller version of Suguruko Mutou.

"Just finished… I arrived a few days back to find out that you left for Egypt, together with dad and your friends." James stated while stroking his chin. "So how have things been ever since I've been gone??"

"Same as usual" Yugi lied.

_He'll probably ask my why we left for Egypt in the first place…._

"How's Egypt, sweetie… did you enjoy your field trip?" Yugi's mom inquired while looking into her son's round eyes.

"Tell us everything about it, son….I hope you learned something…" James added as he placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder

Yugi stared at Grandpa, who just nodded and winked at him.

_Oh yeah… I never told my parents about… the Pharaoh… They probably wouldn't believe me if I told them anyway._

Grandpa Mutou looked away from his family and bowed to the Hawkins. "Thank you so much, my old friend… Are you sure that you can't stay a little bit longer??.....Why don't you come in for a while and have dinner with us. It's the least that we can do." He suggested thoughtfully as he stepped back, gesturing the two Westerners inside their home.

"We would love to…Thank you for the kind offer." Professor Hawkins answered. He and Rebecca followed the Mutous inside their family game shop.

The Mutous and the Hawkins had dinner together. They enjoyed the others' company as they chatted away about almost everything, except for the weird magical subjects. James and Yugi shared a beautiful father-son talk, making up for the years they missed. Rebecca, who was seated next to Yugi, clutched his arm in a 'boyfriend-girlfriend' manner. Yugi flustered at this but ignored it as he continued to enjoy his mother's delicious cooking and his father's stories.

"Mmmm… That was delicious." Yugi stated happily as he placed his chopsticks back on his now empty bowl and leaned back to rub his full stomach.

"Thank you for the decent meal. You're an exceptionally good cook, Mrs. Mutou." Professor Hawkins stated as he stood up. "I think it's time for us to leave… It's getting late… We still have to fix our things back at the hotel" he added as he gave a small bow and walked towards the door

"Get some good rest everyone…"Rebecca chirped, following her grandfather's lead. "Tomorrow we will go out on a date, Yugi-poo"

"Awww… my little Yugi is finally a man" Selena said softly while James covered his mouth to hide his snickering.

"Mom…" Yugi moaned as he got up, face reddening. "I can't, Rebecca. I have school tomorrow."

"Then we'll go after school" Rebecca suggested playfully as she followed her grandfather towards their van.

"Or, you can come back tomorrow after Yugi's school for snacks" James suggested as he and his family followed the Hawkins outside. "You can invite your friends too, sport" He added as he turned to Yugi and ruffled his hair.

"We'll be there…" Professor Hawkins answered as he started the engines.

"That sounds good too…" Rebecca added cheerfully as she buckled her seatbelt next to her grandfather.

The Mutous waved goodbye as the Hawkins' van sped up, disappearing into the distance. The sky has turned into its majestic ink black hue with sparkling stars dotting it as far as the eye can see. The stars aided the moon as it brightened the night sky, giving it a beautiful spark. The city and its streets were illuminated by the night lights, revealing the wonders of modern technology.

"I think it is time for us to get some sleep…" James suggested as he led his family back inside the house. "You still have school tomorrow, Yugi."

"I know, dad. " Yugi softly replied as he obediently proceeded up to his room with his luggage at hand.

_School…_

_Yup…. Everything is going back….To normal…._

_But why do I feel that something is wrong…_

_And that voice …_

_It sounded so real…_

Yugi pondered on his thoughts until he reached his room. He opened the door and stepped inside. He started emptying his bag. One by one, he placed everything away neatly. As he placed his hand back inside his bag, he felt a cold, square shaped object. Yugi's eyes started watering as he pulled out the Millennium Puzzle box. He opened it and pulled out his deck… his own deck

_I can't believe …_

_That you're gone, Pharaoh… _

_We've been through so much together…_

_and…_

_These cards…._

_Sent you away…_

_For good…_

Tears fell from his eyes as he placed his deck back inside the puzzle box and put it on his bedside table. He shook the tears from his eyes, putting on a determined expression on his face.

_I should stay strong… That's what the Pharaoh wants… He wants me to be brave…to believe in myself… to go through life with confidence… _

Once he has finished unpacking, he changed into his pajamas and settled in his bed.

_Maybe the others are right…_

_I just need some rest…_

With that thought in mind, Yugi closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep…


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Riddles of the spirits**

"_Yugi… Yugi…"_

"Who's there" Yugi shouted as he stood up and looked around for the source of the same eerie voice. He found himself in the middle of endless sand… The sun was high up in the sky. Yugi looked around, trying to find something beyond the piles of sand dunes until his eyes caught a familiar sight…

"Isn't that the Pharaoh's palace" He asked himself, squinting his eyes to see clearly.

_That must mean I'm in Egypt… Ancient Egypt… But how did I get here??_

"_Yugi… Yugi…"_

Yugi spun around to find himself suddenly surrounded by hundreds of stalls filled with people, dressed in ancient tunics, staring at him. "Ok… I'm not even gonna ask where all these came from…" He faced forward and was shocked to find himself in front of the open palace gates with a few familiar and unfamiliar faces looking at him…

"_Yugi"_

"Mana?? How??... What??..... Were you the one calling me earlier??" Yugi stammered as he fell back from the shock.

Standing in front of him, in the hot Egyptian soil, was Mana, the real form of the Dark Magician Girl, behind her stood Atem's ministers and parents, all wearing anxious expressions.

"Yugi..... It's Atem… He's not here…" Mana stammered as she helped Yugi up on his feet, tears filled her beautiful eyes as she stared at Atem's look-a-like.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S NOT HERE???" Yugi shouted as he pulled himself away from the crying magician.

"He's supposed to join us here in the afterlife… but… he never arrived when you defeated him…" Pharaoh Aknamkanon stated as he looked down, tears falling from his majestic royal eyes.

"BUT… I SAW HIM… WE ALL SAW HIM GO THROUGH THE DOORS LEADING TO THE AFTERLIFE…" Yugi cried, refusing to believe what he just heard.

"He's… not…. here" Minister Seto stated, tensing after every word.

Yugi placed his hands on the sides of his head as he started imagining horrible things that could've happened to his ancient royal friend.

"WHERE CAN HE BE?? HE SHOULD BE HERE… HE SHOULD BE IN THE AFTERLIFE WHERE HE BELONGS"

"YUGI… YUGI… WAKE UP…"

"Wha'h…. huh…" Yugi mumbled. His body was sweaty and shuddering and his face was filled with fear and tears as he felt someone shaking him. He opened his eyes and saw his father staring at him, a worried look grazing on his features, while grasping his shuddering son by the shoulders…

"Yugi… calm down. It's over… Whatever nightmare you had… It's over…" James stated as he hugged his son.

"It can't be… It's a lie… It's not true… He should be there… Where else could he possibly be??" Yugi sobbed as he buried his tear-stained face on his father's shoulder.

"Yugi…What-Who are you talking about??" His mother asked worriedly as she placed her soft hand on her trembling son's shoulder.

Yugi looked around. He was in his room, sitting up on his bed. He saw his parents exchanging worried looks while his grandfather looked at him with worried eyes.

"I… I'm late for school" Yugi stammered as he stared at his alarm clock. "I gotta go"

He jumped off his bed and ran, passed his startled family, towards his wardrobe and grabbed his uniform. He then dashed towards the bathroom and showered while brushing his teeth at the same time. Once he has finished bathing and dressing up, he then dashed towards the kitchen, grabbing a piece of toast before heading for the door when…

"Yugi… what's wrong…"

Yugi felt a strong yet gentle hand taking hold of his shoulder. He turned around to see his father.

"Nothing…" Yugi lied as he desperately fought back tears that were building up in his eyes.

James took a deep breath and then spoke. "Yugi… I know I haven't been with you for a long time… to see you grow up. But I know one thing… You are a special boy who cares deeply for others…." He gazed away from Yugi. "I may not know who you dreamt about… But I can tell that that person is someone important to you… and … you fear the loss of that someone…" His grip tightened as he turned to face his son. " Yugi, do not be afraid of losing someone you care for… they will always be with you no matter what…"

Yugi looked up to his father and nodded, putting on a determined face. "You're right, dad…" he answered his relieved father as he calmed down and proceeded to the door.

"YUGI… WE'RE GONNA BE LATE"

Yugi opened the door and saw his three closest friends there, waiting for him as he walked towards them.

"It's about time…" Tristan whined as he ruffled Yugi's hair.

"HAVE FUN AT SCHOOL" Grandpa Mutou shouted as the four friends walked away, waving goodbye to the three adults.

Yugi looked at his friends then shifted his gaze to the horizon.

_This isn't just about a great pharaoh…_

_This is about a great pharaoh and his friends…_

_And… something tells me… _

_That this isn't the end…_


	7. Chapter 7

Dsclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Bonding Trouble**

"Mr. Mutou… MR. MUTOU… PAY ATTENTION"

Yugi jerked up as his teacher screamed at him, bringing back his mind from the abyss of his thoughts and coming back to his senses. His classmates, except for his close friends, were all snickering at him as he stared around the room with a startled look clearly shown on his face.

"Sorry Ma'am, I… I'm just tired" Yugi muttered as he slouched on his seat with his face reddening as he heard his classmates' muffled laughter.

"Alright, now that Mr. Mutou has finally returned from his trip to fantasy land, let's go back to our lesson." The teacher announced as she turned back towards the board, the class quickly settling back down.

"Pssst… Yugi, what's wrong??" Joey whispered with his hand cupping the side of his face visible to the teacher as he turned to face the spiky, tri-colored haired teen seated next to him.

"I can't stop thinking about that voice I heard, Joey… It must be related to that dream I told you about…" Yugi whispered back as his friends stared at him then exchanging worried looks with each other.

Yugi told them about his dream before the class started. The friends were at first surprised, but reminded themselves that they had been through so many weird things when they started hanging out with Yugi.

The school bell rang, signifying the end of the day's school session. The occupants started filing out of the classroom, leaving the five friends behind as they gathered around their smallest companion.

"I'm sure it's nothing, Yugi" Ryou assured him as he gently patted the small teen's back. "You just miss him, that's all."

"You're right…I miss him…" Yugi agreed as he stood up and went out of the room, followed by his friends. "But… something tells me that… something big is coming"

"HEY YOU GUYS… WAIT UP…"

Yugi and his friends turned around to see Duke running towards them.

"We're going to Yug's place, Duke. Ya' comin'?" Joey asked mockingly as he gave Duke a headlock.

"Why… do… you… think… I ran…. all the way to catch up with you guys??" Duke panted as he straightened up the moment Joey released him. "Of course I'm comin'… Yugi invited me"

The six friends started their walk towards the Mutou residence when they saw Serenity, Rebecca and Professor Hawkins walking brusquely towards them.

"Yugi-poo… since your family suggested that we all gather for some snacks at your place… we can have our date there… I wouldn't mind" Rebecca chirped as she gave Yugi her signature hug making the four men behind him snicker while Tea controlled her boiling rage. "We ran into Serenity a few moments ago on the way here." She gestured towards Joey's little sister who rushed towards her brother.

"Serenity…" Tristan and Duke sighed in unison as they strode towards her before feeling a strong force grabbing their collars and pulling them back to their place.

"Don't even think about it if you know what's best for you…" Joey growled as he shoved Tristan and Duke out of the way.

"C'mon you guys… quit it…" Yugi moaned. He desperately put on a façade as he and his friends resumed walking while sharing stories and jokes as they neared the Kame game shop.

"Hello everyone… Please do come in." Grandpa Mutou said as he stepped aside, gesturing the others in their home. "Welcome back, Yugi. How's school?" he inquired the now unusually silent tri-colored haired teen.

"It was ok, Grandpa." Yugi replied as he looked into his grandfather's eyes while forcing a smile on his face.

"Well… You certainly don't look okay" James added as he entered the door. "I just got back." He said playfully while ruffling Yugi's hair. "I see you and your girlfriend are getting along with this just fine…."

Yugi looked away from his father, face reddening from the comment. He then walked towards an empty seat and sat down right next to Tea.

"Hey Yugi… Are you alright you seem a little down…" Tea inquired softly as she placed her hand on Yugi's shoulder.

Yugi blushed as he felt Tea's soft hand resting on his shoulder and attempted to hide his face from her. "I'm fine Tea…"

_calm down Yugi… don't lose your cool… _

"I thought that the voice you've been hearing and the weird dream you had last night were troubling you…" She asked thoughtfully.

Yugi gulped as he felt Tea's hand tightened on his shoulder.

_Wow… she really cares about me…_

_Or…_

_maybe she is only treating me this way because I kinda look like the Pharaoh…_

"that was before… But now I think I will be ok…"

_There's an obvious lie… _

_Tea would probably see through this act…_

"Yugi… Is something wrong??"

Yugi snapped out of his mental monologue as he heard Tea whispering to him. He gazed up and noted her worried face. Her cerulean eyes sparkled like the deep blue ocean. Her fair skin was soft and smooth like silk. Her short brown hair making her more radiant…

_She's so beautiful._ Yugi thought.

_If only you knew… _

_The feelings I have for you_

_are more than just friendship…_

"YUGI-POO" Rebecca called as she sat next to her self acclaimed boyfriend, breaking the silent stares shared by the two. Rebecca pulled Yugi's arm behind her and rested her head on his shoulder. Tea then looked away while Yugi just sighed…

_Another missed opportunity…_

"Who's hungry??" Selena inquired as she stepped out of the kitchen carrying a tray filled with snacks and drinks. "Honey, your home." She added as she approached her husband and gave him a kiss.

Everyone cheered in unison as Selena placed the tray in a table at the center of the gang.

As soon as she released the tray, the gang started taking their picks while chatting with each other, sharing stories and the things that happened to them as the TV was turned on. Rebecca started nuzzling the side of Yugi's chest, making the latter fluster and look away while Tea clenched her fist in anger making Ryou laugh. Tristan and Duke were shoving each other in an attempt to sit closer to Serenity while Joey stared at them with a ferocious, protective gaze. James and Selena were sharing a sweet talk while Grandpa Mutou and Professor Hawkins started recalling their past adventures as archaeologists.

Stars started sparkling outside the window as early evening settled in. Yugi, his family and friends were still having a good time.

"We should do this more often…" Joey suggested as he grabbed his fifth helping of pizza. "DUKE… TRISTAN, IF YOU DON'T LEAVE SERENITY ALONE… YOU'RE GONNA GET MOUTHS FULL OF MY FISTS" he roared as he saw Duke and Tristan, now playing Dungeon Dice Monsters to decide who gets to be Serenity's boyfriend.

The others just laughed as they watched Joey jumping on the two competing guys, locking both heads in his arms.

Suddenly an earthquake shook the ground, startling everyone, changing the atmosphere from a fun and bonding moment between friends and family, to an awful life and death situation. The occupants started screaming and panicking as the utensils and dining ware crashed down the floor as did the other stuff in the house.

"EVERYONE… LETS GET OUT OF HERE" James roared through the sound of everyone's panicked screams and falling materials as he led the people out of the game shop and into the open. The gang stopped and stared in shock at the horrible scenario right in front of their eyes…


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**The Beginning of an Old Trouble**

Yugi, his friends, and his family stared at the horrible scenario in front of them. The sky was dark but not that of the night. It was pure black and not a single star was present. Crackling lightning spread across it as far as the eye could see while dark purple mists hovered in the streets, engulfing what was once a beautiful lush neighborhood full of happy people. An eerie green light was emitting from the clouds as the lightning passed through. Screams filled the night as people clung for their lives when the earthquake increased in intensity.

The strange and awful sight filled everyone's hearts with an eerie and horrible sensation that made their skins crawl. Yugi's eyes widened as he recognized the familiarity of the feeling. He looked over to the people he shared his magical adventures with. They all had returned the same frightened gazes.

"It's like the duel between Malik and the Pharaoh back in battle city" Serenity stated shakily as she tightened her grip on her brother's shoulder. "Brother… I'm scared…"

"JUST HANG ON AND DON'T LET GO" Joey cried as the gang braced themselves for the stronger quake.

A few moments after, the earthquake stopped, leaving semi-rubble that used to be the neighborhood.

"We have to move NOW" Grandpa Mutou announced. "Before an aftershock gets us…" he added as he straightened up and brushed the dirt off of him. As he stood up, a ball of dark energy charged straight at him.

"GRANDPA… LOOK OUT" Tristan cried as he raced towards the small old man and pushed him out of the way, barely escaping the attack.

"DAD" James screamed as he rushed to the fallen duo and helped his father up. "WHAT WAS THAT THING?" he added in a panicked tone as he stared at his father then at Tristan. Tristan just stared back at Yugi who just shrugged.

"LOOK OUT" Selena added as the black ball of energy levitated off the ground and started changing its form.

The trio backed away from the growing ball of darkness. They all started staring at it, not knowing whether to run away or to fight. The black blob started turning green, sprouting many red eyes on its head. It started to form a slender shaped monster with a familiar glowing green symbol on its head and a mouth full of sharp fangs that gave a hiss as it stared at the gang.

"SHADOW GHOUL"

The monster charged at the gang, baring its razor sharp teeth. Yugi, his friends and family scattered, dodging the attack and regrouped behind the trees, far away from the rampaging monster.

"Where did you park your van, Professor?" Tristan inquired as the gang looked at the American archaeologist.

Professor Hawkins shrugged and bowed his head low before answering. "I returned it… it was only a rental…"

The gang shared frightened looks as the monster was destroying everything in its path.

"This should be over…" Yugi whispered his eyes watering and widened in realization as the awful conclusion flashed in his mind. "…and that symbol on its head… it's the Oricha---"

"Will somebody tell me what's going on here" James hissed as he watched the others throwing frightened and experienced glances at each other.

"Yes… you seem to know what is happening… please tell us…" Selena added as she gripped her husband's back.

Yugi turned around to look at his parents…

_Dad and Mom never witnessed shadow magic. Sure, they saw the Orichalcos, but they thought that it was just Kaiba Corp's visual projectors gone haywire…. I have to tell them everything .Even if I doubt that they will believe me they still have the right to know… I should tell them about the adventures I've been through together with my friends… about the magic… about the Pharaoh…_

Yugi took a deep breath and was about to tell his parents the story he knew they won't believe. "Mom… Dad… I have something to tell you… It's—" he was cut off as his cellphone started ringing.

"YUGI… KEEP THAT THING QUIET" The others hissed as Yugi struggled to reach for the noisy phone in his pocket. The monster just looked around but did not find the source of the noise as Yugi successfully managed to silence it.

"Sorry guys…" Yugi whispered apologetically as he checked to see who sent him the message. "It's from Mokuba… He wants us to head for Kaiba Corp immediately…"

"Then let's go… I'm sure they can explain to us what seems to be going on here…" James stated as he stood up. He and the others slowly crept behind the fallen trees towards the highway, successfully avoiding the monster. They then ran towards the semi-destroyed buildings… heading for Kaiba Corp…


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Secrets Told**

"C'mon, the coast is clear." Duke whispered as he led the gang out of their hiding place.

Duel Monsters of all kinds started to appear out of the many black balls of energy that were continuously pouring down from the darkened sky. Yugi and his crew were running away and hiding as the monsters increased in number.

"Will we ever have normal lives?" Joey asked jokingly, trying to relieve the fear and tension. As he followed the gang stealthily nearing the end of the road, he stubbed his foot on the sidewalk.

"YOUCH" Joey cried as he started hopping around on his uninjured foot. The monsters turned towards the gang and roared at the now frightened group of people who ran away as the monsters gave chase.

"YOU DIMWIT… WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SCREAM LIKE A GIRL AND GIVE US ALL AWAY?" Tristan roared at Joey as he and the rest of the group were running for their lives.

"I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY" Joey screamed repeatedly as more monsters swarmed at them from every direction, blocking their escape.

The gang stood by each other, not knowing what to do as the monsters were closing in on them.

"Does anybody have some bight ideas??" Grandpa Mutou inquired desperately as the monsters bared their razor sharp teeth, approaching the group like vultures spotting a carcass.

Suddenly out of nowhere, a pair of headlights blinded the monsters as a van drove straight into them, knocking the hideous creatures out of the way. The heroic van then pulled up right in front of Yugi and crew as its side door opened, revealing Valon and Alister.

"GET IN… WE'LL EXPLAIN LATER"

Yugi and crew quickly obliged and settled themselves in as Raphael slammed his foot on the gas pedal.

"EVERYONE HOLD ON… THIS IS GONNA BE A ROUGH RIDE…" Raphael announced as he drove the van straight towards a few monsters, knocking them out of the way. To avoid the larger monsters, he kept on turning the wheel so sharply that everyone kept on falling out of their places as they sped up towards Kaiba Corp.

"We are so glad to see you three again." Yugi stated in relief as he sat back up on his seat and started rubbing his head. "You came in the nick of time."

"Well, we are one of the good guys now. It's a part of our job…" Valon stated playfully as he helped Grandpa Mutou back up on his seat. "From the looks of things, it's the Orichalcos all over again. All three of us were already here in Japan when Kaiba Jr. sent us the message. You can call yourselves lucky that we saw you and got to you just in time. But, knowing you, you've been through many situations like this so I'm sure you guys can solve this problem…" he added as he got serious.

"What does he mean that you have 'been through situations like this'?" James asked as he stared at his son. "What is going on here?? Who are these people?" he added as he stared at the three former Doma minions

Everyone, except for Raphael, just stared at Yugi, who avoided everyone's questioning looks as he tried to find a way to tell his parents the truth.

"Well?" James asked as he puffed out his chest and folded his arms over it.

"Tell us, sweetie." Selena added gently as he peered at her son.

Yugi started to panic as he struggled to find a way to tell his parents.

_What should I do? Everyone is expecting me to tell them… I should, but will they believe me?? After what has happened, they are bound to believe me… but… how will I tell them that I used to share my body with a 3000 year old magical pharaoh and helped him save the world from evil many times through duel monsters??... _

Yugi pondered on his thoughts for a moment before taking a deep breath.

_Here goes nothing…_

Yugi started retelling about how he solved the Millennium Puzzle and released the 3000 year old pharaoh sealed inside. With some help from his friends, he also told them of how he would let the pharaoh he ended up befriending take control of his body whenever trouble came as they went through their weird adventures. He then introduced the people they met in those weird adventures. Finally, he told his parents the real reason why they went to Egypt.

As Yugi ended his story, everyone fell silent and stared at Yugi's parents, who stared back at their son with mouths hanging open. Yugi just maintained eye-contact with his parents as he waited for them to absorb his story, hoping that they would not send him to the mental hospital after the trouble will be over…

If… It will be over….


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Acceptance**

"Ok….. So let me get this straight….. The puzzle your grandfather gave you…. turned out to be a prison for a three thousand year old ancient king with powerful magic that many evil people tried to steal???" James asked, trying to assure himself that he heard and understood everything he has been told…

"And that you have made many friends, including this pharaoh, in your adventures as you try to help him regain his lost memories??" Selena added as she inquisitively looked at the people around her.

"Yeah…" Yugi replied his voice quivering as he picked up a hint of doubt from his parents' voices. "Look, I know it's hard to believe. But everything I told you are true."

"Yeah, Mr. and Mrs. M." Joey added "We were with Yugi the whole time…"

"Is this true, dad?" James asked as he turned towards Grandpa Mutou.

"Yes, they're all true. So don't start insisting that I've been poisoning Yugi's mind with fantasies…" Grandpa said quickly as he stroked his chin in deep thought.

"Do you believe me, Mom? Dad?" Yugi questioned as he stared at his parents with innocent eyes, hoping to get the answer he wanted.

"After all these happenings, I'd believe anything…" James remarked as he stared out the car window, seeing nothing but the same black clouds with eerie lightning as purple mists covered most of his view. "And… those monsters didn't look nor feel like holograms"

Yugi sighed in relief as he felt his parents accept his story. The burden of telling his parents about the significant moments of his life finally lifted as he cherished the thoughts of being open to his mother and father.

"So, Yugi… I heard the Pharaoh finally left…" Raphael remarked as he raised his head to address Yugi without taking his eyes off the road. "Is he still nameless??" he added jokingly.

"His name is Atem." Yugi answered, eyes widening as he snapped back to reality. "He's finally resting in peace at the spirit world, where he belongs." He added, turning his head towards the opposite side of the unusually large van to look at Tea, whose gaze shifted away from him, hiding her pained expression upon hearing the Pharaoh's name.

Yugi just sighed as he turned face forward to watch the semi-destroyed Kaiba Corp building loom over the horizon, growing bigger as they neared it.

_Why do I have this feeling…_

_that the Pharaoh…_

_ISN'T at peace… _


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**The Unexpected Reunion**

"Finally… We're here…" Raphael sighed as he brought the van to a halt in front of the tall mound that was Kaiba Corp.

It took them hours to get there as they had to avoid the numerous monsters that often came their way. They looked around the city to notice that the earthquake didn't completely destroy everything as there were still a few buildings, including Kaiba Corp that remained standing.

The entire city was flooded with the purple mists. The once bright streets were nothing but empty, eerie pathways leading to darkness. The buildings that were often admired for their amazing height and structure were shrouded in dark mists that seemed to engulf the entire area. Monsters of all kinds from the shadows glided, crawled, ran, and slithered around the mist filled streets, preying on any living thing that they might come across.

"Let's go" Yugi suggested, his voice quivering as fear invaded his mind. He led the others inside the doors of Kaiba Corp, closing it as everyone entered, careful not to alert the monsters to their presence. As they got deeper inside the building, they were shocked at what they saw.

The walls and floors were partially covered with darkness. Computers were scattered around, destroyed and shattered. Tables and chairs were disarray and half broken.

"Even rich boy can't afford to have all these fixed…" Joey stated, dumbstruck at the sight of the partially destroyed meeting place. "You don't think—" He was cut off as a sudden rush of footsteps filled the air.

"YUGI… EVERYONE… YOU MADE IT…"

The gang turned around to see Mokuba running towards them, relieved at the sight of allies.

"Mokuba… We're ok… What about you… Where's Kaiba?" Yugi asked as he grasped Mokuba by the shoulders

"Big brother and the others are in the panic room…This way." Mokuba answered as he led the gang to the emergency stairway.

They went down at what seemed like an eternity of flights of stairs before reaching a metal door. Mokuba pushed it open to reveal a large, dimly lit room made of strong metal. Oil lamps hung from the ceiling, lighting the room decently but not brightly. There were many shelves lining the walls, stocked with emergency supplies probably enough to last one's lifetime.

"Talk about being prepared…" Tristan remarked as they stepped inside the panic room towards the many others who were there.

"Big brother, I found them…" Mokuba stated as he stood in front of the approaching figure who turned out to be Seto Kaiba.

"Now that all the members of the dweeb patrol are here… we can start" Kaiba sneered as he eyed Yugi and the crew. He gestured the new arrivals to the center of the room where he gathered almost everyone he thought of that could help.

The Ishtars were there giving a warm smile to the approaching allies. Pegasus was there as well, sipping a glass of red wine. Mai was also there, to Joey and Valon's relief.

Yugi and his friends started reacquainting with their friends. They started sharing stories about what has happened ever since they parted. Yugi then introduced his parents to everyone and vice versa.

After the introductions, Rebecca noticed Mokuba looking at her. When Mokuba saw her returning the gaze, he immediately looked away while Rebecca started giggling. Mai, Joey, and Valon were sharing their experiences with each other as Alister and Raphael were sharing how they got over the loss of their loved ones. Pegasus was chatting away with the two oldies when Kaiba stood up and got everyone's attention.

"If it's still not obvious, I brought you all here so that we can put our heads together to solve this problem. Not to have a get together fiesta…" Kaiba scoffed. He walked towards Yugi. "Yugi, here, can explain all these magical mumbo jumbo happenings to you." At that statement, Kaiba walked off, giving the stage to Yugi.

"That Kaiba…." Joey grumbled as he struggled to control his anger.

"Oh… um… Ok…" Yugi stammered as he stood up while everyone sat down on the floor. "I'm not sure… but it could either be the Shadow Realm…" he stared at the Egyptians before taking a deep breath and turned towards the former Doma servants. "….or the Orichalcos"

Everyone shared frightened glances as memories of those evil flashed back in each of their minds. Even Kaiba bit his lip as he remembered the trouble those two forms of dark magic caused.

"But the Orichalcos was destroyed when Paradias was destroyed and the Pharaoh defeated the Leviathan." Raphael stated as he caught the frightened gazes of the other former Doma servants.

"And the Shadow magic was obliterated before the Pharaoh left for the afterlife…." Ishizu added as she stared at the other former Millennium Item holders.

"_You do not know how wrong you are" _

The others jumped as they heard the deep eerie voice echoing around the room. They looked around for the source of the ghostly voice.

"Was that the voice you've been hearing, Yug?" Joey asked shakily as he looked around.

"No… The voice I told you about was that of Mana…" Yugi answered as a feeling of dread washed over him. "This one is deep, different… that of a man…"

"WHO'S THERE?? SHOW YOURSELF" Kaiba boomed as he and the others continued to look around…

A small yet noticeable glow caught Yugi's eye. He spun around and gasped at what he saw, making the others mirror his move as they all stared at the Egyptian they never expected to see again, stepping out of the golden glow that appeared right in front of their eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**If you thought that the Egyptian spirit mentioned in the previous chapter would be Atem…. Think again…**

* * *

**Spiritual Arrivals**

Everyone stared at the young Egyptian man that stepped out of the golden light and stood in front of them. His majestic white robe flaring behind him as his turban settled neatly on top of his head making his eyes give out a piercing gaze that sent shivers down the spines of everyone in the room.

"SHADI…" Yugi gasped as the former guardian of the Millennium Items neared them. "What do you mean—" he was cut off when a green glow emitted from the wall to his right.

"What the Egyptian spirit means is that the Orichalcos and the Shadow Realm merged together to make their comeback." Dartz explained as he stepped out of the green light, followed by Chris, Ironheart, and Sky, to his former allies' surprise.

"DARTZ" the three former Doma servants gasped. They went for the Atlantian King intent on throwing their grudges at him but Chris stood in their way.

"Father isn't evil anymore." Chris stated as she turned to face Dartz. "He's here to help. We all are…"

Raphael, Valon, and Alister settled back down as they joined the others, listening as the ancient spirits explained how they got to know each other and how the two dark magic merged together.

"The Pharaoh managed to defeat both the Great Leviathan and Zorc Necrophades." Dartz stated as he looked into everyone's startled yet alert faces. "But he did not completely destroy them…"

"Individually, both dark forces were too weak to rise again, but together, they managed to combine their remaining power to shroud this world in darkness once more." Shadi added.

"Is there anything we can do to stop them??" Yugi asked worriedly, praying that there was still hope.

"We can provide you with these." Dartz answered as the three Atlantians conjured ancient duel disks out of thin air and gave one for everybody in the room.

"This looks like my old duel disk." Alister commented, recalling the last time he used his duel disk. "Only it has a different color…"

It had the same structure as the former Doma allies' duel disks but the magical duel disks were in a majestic, creamy white hue. The card slots were in a sparkling sea green as shimmering gold crystals lined its edges. A flat circular red gem was positioned at the center of each card slot.

"Don't worry….. these are not powered by the Orichalcos…" Dartz assured as looks of uncertainty dawned on everyone's faces while observing their new duel disks. "With those magical duel disks, every card you play becomes real."

"YEAH… WE GET TO KICK SOME EVIL BEHIND… DUEL MONSTERS STYLE" Joey cheered while punching the air.

"Man… not everybody here knows how to duel…" Tristan whined as he stared at the white duel disk at his wrist.

"But you do know how to put cards in the slots, right?" Duke asked sarcastically as he placed his deck in the respective slot, others laughing and snickering at the funny comeback.

"Are these gonna completely destroy the enemy?" Kaiba asked as he observed his so-called weapon

The spirits stared at each other before answering. "Only the Nameless Pharaoh is powerful enough to stop this combined evil." Dartz answered as he gave Yugi a piercing gaze, anticipating his statement.

"First of all, The Nameless Pharaoh's name is Atem. Secondly, he's not here with us anymore…" Yugi stated as he stared down the floor.

"Then he HAS to come back…" Shadi answered.

The Pharaoh's friends looked up, faces shining with joy and hope as the possibility of seeing their departed friend again refueled their almost extinguished happiness… Even Kaiba smirked playfully at the thought of seeing his rival.

"We just have one problem…" Shadi added slowly as everyone paid close attention to the Egyptian spirit. "He's not where he is supposed to be…"

Yugi's eyes widened as Shadi's words got through him. He started to remember the dream he had… what a certain magician whispered to him back at the airport …

As the others were pondering and worrying at where else could the Pharaoh possibly be, Yugi looked up, tears staining his face as the horrible conclusion dawned upon him.

The others stared at him, stopping their group discussion.

"Yugi… are you ok?" Tea inquired worriedly as she placed a hand on the weeping teen's face, gently wiping the tears away.

"The…. Ceremonial…. Battle….." Yugi sobbed as he fell to his knees.

"…Was a lie…" Shadi added, finishing Yugi's statement…


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Ok… here's the long awaited answer to the questions of those who have read Bayleef's Silent Sacrifice…**

**(WARNING… THIS CHAPTER IS FULL OF GORE AND TORTURE…)**

"**Demonic voice"**

* * *

**Tortured Soul**

Pharaoh Atem woke up in what seemed like a torture chamber in the midst of darkness.

He felt dizzy, weak, and in pain as he tried to remember what happened before he ended up like this.

_Where am I???_

Atem suddenly recalled everything that happened. He remembered lying to Yugi and his friends about the Ceremonial Battle that turned out to be a pact with darkness. He remembered his cause, to destroy the Millennium Items and free the innocent souls imprisoned in the shadow realm in exchange for his spirit. He remembered the dark creatures that tore at his very soul as the demon laughed at his chosen fate.

_Wasn't I ripped to shreds... destroyed??_

He tried to feel himself but found that he was immobilized. His arms were shackled to two thick stone statues of demonic snakes on either side of him. His feet were also in the same situation. He was locked in a defenseless, widespread position in what looked like an altar. He looked to his right and saw a lightened torch that seemed to be heating some kind of metal rod. Next to it was a pile of chains that emitted a freakish glow. To his left he saw lots of torture devices emitting green frightening lights. He shuddered upon seeing his awful surroundings and closed his eyes as fresh tears escaped them. All his lost memories finally returned to him, flashing in his mind.

_All I wanted was to be with my family…_

_My friends…_

_My home…_

_But if my soul is the only cost… _

_to free the innocent victims of the shadow realm…_

_and for the destruction of the Millennium Items…_

_Then this is the fate…_

_that is destined for me… _

He cringed as he looked down and saw himself. His ancient royal tunic ripped in various places and stained with glowing white, liquid-like substance that may be the spirit version of blood escaping from his soft tanned skin.

"**How are you Pharaoh?? Did you enjoy your nap??"**

Atem felt sudden cold washing over him as he looked up, with frightened eyes, to see Zorc standing in front of him in the midst of blood red flames that emitted from the demon's very form. The pharaoh stared back down again, shuddering at what the demon planned to do.

The demon just laughed and grabbed Atem's chin, pulling the pained pharaoh's face towards his grotesque demonic eyes. Zorc watched with glee as he stared into the pharaoh's frightened amethyst eyes that were restraining fresh tears that formed out of fear.

"**Tell me, Pharaoh. Why did you sacrifice yourself to save the innocent victims of the Shadows?"** Zorc whispered in his shuddering demonic voice that sent shivers down Atem's spine. **"Those souls did nothing for you…"**

Zorc tightened his grip on the pharaoh's chin as he waited for an answer. The red flames finally faded, enabling the dark creatures to scurry towards them, making eerie giggles as they neared. Some went for the torture devices, laughing their demonic laugh maniacally.

"Sacrificing one soul is better than having millions destroyed…" Atem whispered softly as the tears he was struggling so hard to restrain finally escaped…

"**Spoken like a true king…" **Zorc chuckled as he released his grip on the pharaoh. **"Unfortunately, your sacrifice is useless…"**

Upon hearing the demon's words, Atem jerked up, eyes widening as he pushed himself to ask the demon. "What do you mean?"

"**You may have weakened me, but, I have joined forces with another dark entity that you have defeated. Together, the Great Leviathan and I will shroud the world in darkness and the only person who can stop us is you. Fortunately for us, you're right here, chained and about to enter a world of pain…"**Zorc boomed through his minions' eerie laughter as he raised his demonic claws, ready to strike the immobilized king.

Zorc raked his four sharp claws right onto the pharaoh, ripping open his torso, spilling white glowing liquid and shards of white all over the demon.

Atem screamed but choked on the white glowing liquid that burst out of his mouth. He started pulling on his restraints, gashing his wrists and ankles. The demon just chuckled as he dug his claws deeper onto the pharaoh's screaming form.

"**Powerful spirits such as yourself can't be permanently destroyed."** The demon whispered, smirking at the pained and anguished look on Atem's face as he continued to dig his claws deep in the pharaoh's shredded torso. **"After being destroyed, you will be restored…"** He shoved his sharp claws, causing the pharaoh to scream in agony as the demon punched through the ancient king's back, splashing the dark creatures behind the immobilized king in white glowing liquid and shards of white. The dark creatures laughed their eerie laugh as they consumed the fallen shards of glowing white and licked the stone floors and each other clean of Atem's spirit blood.

"**The wounds may heal…"** Zorc continued as he pulled his claws out through Atem's shredded chest, soaked in glowing white, and grabbed the crying pharaoh's neck. **"But the pain will never go away…" **

The demon tightened his grip on the pharaoh's neck, causing Atem to choke and sputter on the same white liquid that trickled out of his already spirit blood-stained mouth. The demon just laughed as he released Atem. Glee filled his demonic blood-red eyes as he watched his prisoner gasping and panting.

"**That was just the warm up, Pharaoh."** Zorc boomed, turning away from the panting spirit and simultaneously lifting his arms, revealing the many dark creatures approaching them. Hungry eyes, locked on Atem, were plastered on their evil little faces. **"Look around you and prepare yourself. The real torture is about to begin…" **

After that statement, the demon laughed once more as he stepped aside. He watched his dark minions taking hold of the struggling pharaoh, restraining and biting him as they unshackled his mangled wrists and ankles with spirit blood seeping from the glowing white gashes. They then dragged him towards a horrible looking board studded with spikes and reeled chains positioned at its top and bottom, emitting the same creepy glow that crawled on the fear stricken pharaoh who continued his hopeless attempts to resist the countless little demons.

"**This is going to be fun…" **Zorc sneered as he watched his struggling captive being shackled by the dark gremlins onto the spiked torture board.

Atem cried out in agony as he felt the white hot spikes slowly piercing his back. The little demons just laughed and started reeling in the chains, stretching the pharaoh over the board, making the spikes dig deeper onto the tortured soul. Atem let out another piercing scream as he felt his arms and legs being pulled painfully by the chains binding him, about to rip him in half.

Tears fell from the pharaoh's pained eyes as he continued to scream. His soul tattered in shards of glowing white, his glowing spirit blood, covering almost every part of him, stained the torture board, giving it a white angelic glow amidst the evil essence dominant in the room.

Demonic laughter filled the eerie dark chamber as the demons continued to torture the pharaoh, whose screams of pain enticed the creatures of darkness to continue their brutal assault on the helpless soul…


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Fate**

"NO…. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT…. YOU… MEAN… BY DEFEATING HIM…. I SENT HIM…. TO HIS DOOM???"

Yugi screamed as Shadi told him of the Pharaoh's chosen fate. He cried so hard as the pain of guilt stabbed through his chest, piercing his heart like a cabob…

"PHARAOH… WHY?"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME???"

"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO ALLOW YOURSELF TO SUFFER??"

"THIS IS MY FAULT….."

"I SHOULDN'T HAVE DUELED AGAINST YOU…"

"IF I HAD NEVER DEFEATED YOU, YOU WOULD STILL BE HERE WITH US…"

"Yugi…." Tea whispered softly as she knelt down next to her crying friend, putting on a façade to hide her true feelings. "It's not your fault…"

Shadi's words were like white hot daggers that pierced her very soul. She felt so much pain. A part of her was mad at Yugi for defeating the pharaoh. The other part was feeling sorry for the now anguished teen, who felt a hundred times worse about what his victory over the pharaoh had done.

The others neared the tri-colored haired teen. Some were patting him and whispering encouraging words in an effort to comfort him. They were all wearing a mixture of saddened, shocked and anguished looks as they continued to crowd around the weeping Yugi, even Kaiba offered some comfort, even though he has a funny way of showing it. Fear and grief filled the room as everyone learned of the aftermath of the Ceremonial Battle.

Memories of their experiences with the pharaoh flashed back in the minds of everyone who knew him. They remembered his kindness, forgivingness, determination, courage, wisdom, intelligence, and most importantly, the values of friendship he instilled in their hearts.

"Your friend is right, little one." Shadi stated softly as he noticed the sad and grief-stricken faces. "The Pharaoh willingly sacrificed himself to save the souls sacrificed for the creation of the Millennium Items and to have the Millennium Items permanently destroyed." His eyes softened as he continued to look at Yugi. "Do not lose hope. We can still save him…"

"…that is why we gave you those enchanted duel disks" Ironheart added

Yugi and his friends looked up upon hearing the hopeful statement. Determination filled their eyes as they all straightened up. The duelists started positioning their decks on the duel disks, intent on saving a valuable friend from a cruel fate.

"I've said it once…. and I'm saying it again…. NOT ALL OF US HERE ARE DUELISTS…" Tristan roared, breaking the serious tension that just filled the room as everyone turned to stare at him. "Sorry…" He added quickly. "…so we don't even have cards with us… but we want to help too"

"In case you've forgotten, we happen to be in Kaiba Corp." Kaiba answered sarcastically while clenching his fist in his 'must-resist-punching-the-dweeb' manner. "I happen to keep countless rare and powerful cards in the storage safe…"

"Then let's go." Joey snapped as he went for the metal door, leading to the eternity of stairs.

Everyone nodded in agreement. They then started to follow Joey, who was about to open the door, but was stopped by Dartz's magic.

"What's the big idea??" Joey asked, annoyed, as the Atlantian King used his magic to prevent the door from opening.

"The monsters have broken into the building… We need to have some sort of strategy to get past them…" Dartz answered with his eyes closed, deep in meditation.

"Typical for a mutt to rush into things head on…" Kaiba sneered as he and the others went back to their original positions with the Atlantian King at the center of the huge room.

"I'll just pretend that I didn't hear that…" Joey grumbled as he caught up with the others.

Everyone, including the ancient spirits, started discussing effective tactics on how to beat the monsters and get to Kaiba's vault where he kept some powerful cards.

"So… we can summon our high level monsters directly without sacrifices???"

"Yes… but… it depends on your strength"

"Then we can summon as many as we can without waiting for turns…"

"Of course, this isn't a game after all. Just make sure you can handle the monsters you summon…"

"How about an aerial assault??"

"Not everyone can fit in the building if they all summon flying types…"

"Ground assault??"

"There's a possibility of being attacked from unexpected areas…"

As everyone continued suggesting strategies that could get them through the countless monsters that were rampaging above the panic room, an annoyed Kaiba suddenly stood up and broke the series of strategy question and answer.

"My Blue Eyes will get things done as long as the weaklings stay out of my way…" Kaiba scoffed.

"In case, you have forgotten Kaiba-boy, some monsters have special abilities that can defeat even your precious Blue Eyes." Pegasus stated nonchalantly as he looked at Kaiba, smiling as he witnessed the defeated look on the CEO's face.

Kaiba, seeing Pegasus' point, settled down, despite the fact that he hated being outsmarted by Pegasus. His experience with the Pharaoh's strategic battle styles taught him better than to just rely on pure power.

As everyone continued their discussion, a blinding flash of white light caught everyone's attention as it enveloped the room.

"ARE WE BEING ATTACKED??" Joey bellowed as he poised himself, shielding his eyes, ready to summon a monster before Shadi grabbed his wrist.

"Calm down…. I sense reinforcements…" Shadi assured everyone. He and the other spirits stared straight into the opening portal, unaffected while the others were shielding their faces from the blinding light that started to compress into a smaller area, engulfing the whole wall in front of them….


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-G-Oh!

**Ancient Egyptian Reinforcements**

The blinding light formed into a portal, big enough to cover the entire wall of the gigantic panic room. Yugi and crew shielded their eyes but caught a glimpse of several approaching figures stepping out of the now fading light.

"Do you spirits always have to make a shocking entrance??" Joey asked irritably as he and the others stopped shielding themselves to see the new arrivals in their Ancient Egyptian majesty. "Wow… It's that Kaiba look-a-like!!"

"Big brother, Joey's right, that one looks just like you…" Mokuba whispered while quietly gesturing towards one of the ancient spirits. Kaiba just shrugged and looked away with his 'so-what' expression plastered on his face.

"…and those other two look exactly like the Dark Magician and the Dark Magician Girl…" Rebecca added, gesturing towards two of the spirits before shifting her gaze towards Mokuba, who looked away, blushing.

"Then that must mean that the oldest one in between the Seto Kaiba and Dark Magician look-a-likes" Marik stated as he stared at his family, nodding at each other as they completely knew who these people were. "…Must be…. Pharaoh Atem's father, Pharaoh Aknamkanon…"

Pharaoh Aknamkanon stood in front of the gaping crowd with Priest Mahaad on his left and Priest Seto on his right. Mana stood by Mahaad's side, looking around the room before settling her eyes on Atem's look alike as tears formed. All four Ancient Egyptians were wearing anxious but determined looks.

"That dream I had…" Yugi stated shakily as he approached the weeping apprentice magician.

"…Was real…" Aknamkanon finished as he eyed Yugi with his sad amethyst eyes. "It was our way of communicating with you…"

Yugi shifted his gaze from Mana towards Atem's father, who looked nothing like James.

_I wonder….._

_If… _

_They know…._

_About….._

_Atem's fate….._

Tears formed in Yugi's abnormally large eyes as the thought of Atem suffering flashed in his mind. The pain of guilt stabbed him deep in the chest once more as he took a deep breath, preparing to inform Aknamkanon and the other Ancient Egyptians of what Shadi told them.

"We already know, little one" Aknamkanon stated, seeing the attempt to re inform him of the painful fact. "Hasan has told us before meeting you" He gestured towards Shadi, who knelt down, paying his respects to the royal Egyptian.

"Yugi, I thought his name was Shadi…" Tea wondered as she and the others turned to look at Yugi, who was still struggling to fight the tears.

"In your era, I am known as Shadi, the guardian of the Millennium Items" Shadi answered as he stood up. "During the reign of the great pharaohs, I am Hasan, my Ka form and the guardian of the Egyptian Kings…"

"I have left Queen Seliotem and the other ministers to take care of the kingdom." Aknamkanon stated, addressing Shadi, in his deep royal voice. "Only the four of us will be assisting in this battle." He added as he and his ministers activated their Dia Diankhs

Everyone including Shadi and the Atlantian spirits nodded in understanding. The new arrivals joined them as they all formed a big circle. Priest Seto and Kaiba were sharing strange looks while Mokuba sat in between them, constantly shifting his gaze from his big brother to the Kaiba look-a-like.

Though they were saddened, the ancient Egyptians managed to stay calm and introduced themselves formally before joining in the strategy sharing session.

"Ok then, it is decided….. the ones with decks or monsters and magic will cover for Kaiba." Yugi announced as he gulped down the pressure of being the center of attention.

"….and Seto Kaiba will lead the non-duelists towards his vault where he keeps his powerful cards…" James added as he noticed his son struggling to find the right words.

Everyone nodded in agreement as the plan, mostly out of Yugi's idea, was completely formed and ready for implementation.

"Then it is settled." Aknamkanon stated as he stood up, followed by the others, and headed for the metal door, leading towards the main floor of the building filled with rampaging monsters.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**(WARNING… FULL OF GORE AND TORTURE)**

**Eye of Darkness- black symbol of the Millennium Items (not gold)**

* * *

**Branded**

Atem was still tightly chained on the torture board, panting and whimpering as the pain continued to sear through his form. Glowing white liquid bled out of his shackled wrists and ankles, trickled down, falling onto the stone floors and the torture board. His tattered soul was emitting a weak white glow that kept on blinking like a dying firefly. The dark creatures stopped attacking the pharaoh and ceased in reeling the chains, letting most of the ancient king's wounds heal quickly and at the same time, immobilizing him painfully.

_This… this is my end, the fate I chose…. _Atem thought as his vision started blurring.

_Pain… too much pain…_

_But…_

_I have…._

_I… have….try_

_To… take it…. _

_All of it…. _

_Without being…. Defiant….._

_As part of the deal…_

_for…. The freedom…._

_Of the innocent souls…_

Most of his wounds had already healed before some of the dark creatures jumped on top of him and started ripping his newly healed chest to shreds of glowing white.

Atem shrieked as he felt himself being attacked once more while the weight of the creatures made the spikes dig deeper onto his form. He resumed pulling on his restraints, causing the gashes to release more spirit blood.

"**Let me show you something, Pharaoh." **Zorc whispered as he neared the tortured king while he held out a ball of swirling dark smoke that emitted an eerie glow. The dark creatures left their victim as their master neared, making frightful noises as they disappeared into the darkness.

Atem cringed as the demon stopped and held out a swirling dark orb a few inches from his face. He gasped as the orb started to show some familiar people fighting against a lot of monsters.

He saw Yugi destroying a Tri-horned Dragon with his Silent Magician. He saw his father, Pharaoh Aknamkanon, obliterating a Black Land Fire dragon with his Ka monster, Black Luster Soldier. He saw Kaiba riding on his Blue Eyes with some people while dodging many attacks from the monsters. The demon's spying orb was showing the ancient king of what was happening to his family, his friends, and to the world beyond his prison.

"**Those people are intent on saving you but their efforts will be in vain."** Zorc stated as he pulled the dark spying orb away from the pharaoh and made it disappear in a puff of smoke. **"The darkness is still destined to envelop the world…with or without your sacrifice…"**

_Nooo… _Atem mentally moaned, tears brimming in his eyes as he felt crushed by the guilt that now plagued his shredded form. He sacrificed himself to destroy the Millennium Items and its evil, thinking that the Millennium Items' destruction would bring peace… but he was wrong… Now, he felt crushed, shattered, because the people he was trying so hard to save and hide his sacrifice from… ended up fighting against the darkness and learning all about his sacrifice… the hard way…

_Everyone… I'm sorry… I did not wish for you to be hurt… _

_Yugi… forgive me… I didn't ever want you to know of this… I can't bear the thought of you… blaming yourself… for something that is clearly not your fault…_

_Father, Mother, Mana, Mahaad, and everyone else waiting for me in the Afterlife… I'm sorry… I did not mean to make you wait so long and worry so much about me… now… you are here… Father, Cousin Seto, Mana, Mahaad, and even Shadi…fighting to free me from my chosen fate… _

Zorc smirked as he watched Atem's expression go from pained to a completely crushed, anguished, and tortured look.

The demon chuckled and grabbed the now weeping pharaoh's neck, forcing him to look into his eyes once more. "**I do not need the Millennium Items to gain power…"** He breathed onto the pharaoh's face as he started to tighten his grip. **"You just saved me the trouble of capturing you…."**

One of Zorc's minions approached its master, handing him the piece of metal Atem saw earlier being heated on a green flamed torch. Zorc smirked as he showed Atem the white hot symbol on the tip of the metal rod. **"This will prove… that the Leviathan and I own you now." **

Atem desperately tried to struggle away from the rod nearing him. The dark creatures jumped on top of him and held his face in place as Zorc slowly pressed the heated symbol onto Atem's right cheek, making the pharaoh scream in agony as the combined symbols of the dark forces was burned on his face.

The demon laughed amidst the pharaoh's fading screams as he removed the rod from Atem's face. He then stroked the Pharaoh's marked cheek with his scaly, clawed thumb. Atem tried to pull away, making the demon slam the back of his head onto the board, forcing the spikes to punch through his head, causing him to scream further. Zorc laughed maniacally as he watched his prisoner struggling to wrench his claws away.

"**Would you look at the time."** Zorc boomed as he stared at the giant hourglass next to the torture board. **"I have to leave for now. I've got some important creatures to meet"**

The demon released Atem and then disappeared in a blaze of red fire, his demonic laugh still echoing in the room.

Atem fell limp, panting and whimpering, as the demon removed the painful force from his face. Tears started to form in his eyes as the burning sensation lingered and increased the pain he has been feeling from the demonic attacks and the other forms of torture he was forced to endure. He knew that the Seal of Orichalcos was branded on his face using dark magic, preventing it from being healed normally. It was the same symbol as he remembered it, but the Eye of Darkness was present in the seal's center, a sure sign that the Leviathan and Zorc had agreed to share their prize. Eerie giggles came from the dark creatures as they neared the tortured pharaoh once more.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Journey to Kaiba's Vault**

"RED EYES, BURN THAT SLIME BALL TO A CRISP…"

Joey ordered as a ball of vines was heading straight for him as he took off into the air on his black dragon, leaving Yugi, to aid the other aerial troops. A ball of fire shot from the black dragon's mouth and destroyed the Lekunga in one blast.

"YUGI, IS THE PLAN SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS???" Raphael asked loudly as his Guardian Aetos smashed the monster about to attack Yugi from behind.

"WE NEED TO DISTRACT THE MONSTERS." Yugi shouted back as his Silent Magician and Swordsman smashed the approaching Ryu Kishins. "KAIBA WILL HANDLE THE REST"

Kaiba and the non-duelists were flying around the enormous building on top of the Blue Eyes White Dragon while dodging the attacks from dozens of monsters that kept on charging at them.

"BLUE EYES, BURST STREAM"

The white dragon blasted the monsters away, clearing a path towards the vault.

"WATCH OUT" James cried as a Dragon Capture Jar appeared out of nowhere, sucking in the White Dragon.

"TRAP MASTER, DESTROY THAT ANNOYING POT" Seto cried summoning the freaky but useful monster while he and the others were falling.

Before the Trap Master could even launch an attack, an Eatgaboon appeared out of nowhere and destroyed the Trap Master, making Kaiba clutch his chest in pain.

"THIS IS IT… WE'RE DONE FOR" Tristan cried as he and the others plummeted to the ground.

Before they knew it, they suddenly landed on something cold and scaly that was flying back up…

"I kinda expected that we were gonna go splat there…" Tristan sighed as he and the others tightened their grip on the white dragon. "I thought that the Blue Eyes was trapped inside the Dragon Capture Jar."

"YOU CAN THANK ME LATER YOU GUYS."

Kaiba and the others spun around to see Joey on top of his Red Eyes with Jinzo right in front of the Black Dragon.

Kaiba wore a sour expression as Joey smirked at him before heading for another direction, towards Mai and her Hapie Lady Sisters and Harpies' Pet Dragon.

Suddenly, an explosion and a blinding light shone from behind, inches from the white dragon's tail. Kaiba and the others looked back to see the Priest Seto right behind them on his Blue Eyes White Dragon, destroying the group of Man Eater Bugs that almost knocked Kaiba's white dragon down again.

"I COULD HAVE DESTROYED IT MYSELF." Kaiba roared, not accepting the fact that he and his Blue Eyes were saved twice.

"I DOUBT THAT YOU COULD, THOSE BUGS WERE FEW INCHES FROM YOU." Priest Seto answered back, appalled at what his look-a-like said. "IF I HAD NOT BEEN HERE, YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED"

Kaiba just looked away, urging his Blue Eyes, followed closely by an irritated Priest Seto, towards the vault below.

Meanwhile, on the ground…

"BLACK LUSTER SOLDIER, VANQUISH THE ENEMY"

Aknamkanon ordered as a skull knight charged an attack. Luster Soldier easily blocked the black lightning fired by the demon and destroyed it. Aknamkanon then ran towards the other direction, followed by the others, heading for the vault. Suddenly a Sand Stone burst from the ground and launched an attack.

"MIRROR FORCE" Mahaad shouted as he activated the charm, sending the monster's attack right back at it.

"WELL DONE, MAHAAD." Aknamkanon exclaimed as he, Mahaad, Yugi, and Raphael continued running towards the Kaiba Corp vault. "WE HAVE TO RETREAT… THERE'S TOO MANY OF THEM…" He shouted at the others who were still fighting the monsters that were now increasing in number.

Mana has turned into her Ka form, Dark Magician Girl, attacking the incoming monsters. Valon and Alister were fighting many Boar Soldiers that surrounded them with their armor and machine type monsters. Shadi has turned into his Ka form, Hasan, and started firing powerful spells at a pack of Hitotsumi Giants. Dartz was using his magic to strengthen his Kabazauls as it destroyed a dozen Big Eye monsters. Duke and Rebecca were watching each other's backs as they attacked a bunch of Three Headed Geedo with Orgoth the Relentless and Luster Dragon # 2. Sky has turned into the mighty Silver Fang, defeating many monsters with the aid of Chris' magic. Ironheart was also fighting, ramming monsters with his monster, the Ancient One of the Deep Forest while Pegasus redirected the enemies' attacks using his Relinquished.

As soon as they defeated the monsters in their way, they started running towards Yugi and crew, heading for the same spot, the Kaiba Corp Storage Vault


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**House of Cards**

"HURRY IT UP…"

Joey cried as he and the others held the door open, waiting for Yugi and the rest of the gang to join them

As Yugi and the others entered the vault, they all struggled to shut the door just in time before any monster got through.

"Talk about a close shave…" Tristan sighed as he and the others took a short break, catching their breaths before straightening up, calling back their monsters, and started walking towards another steel door a few meters from the first steel door.

"You must really love your cards Kaiba-boy." Pegasus stated as the CEO opened the door via computer security.

Kaiba ignored the obvious sarcasm and gestured everyone inside the gigantic room as the lights slowly flickered on, revealing the unscathed piles of lockers, each guarded by active security codes.

"Amazing… how much human architecture and engineering developed over time…" Aknamkanon commented as he and the other Ancient Egyptians stared around the technologically advanced room in awe. "I just hope it is amazing enough to save my son and this world from darkness…"

Kaiba went to one wall of lockers that happened to have only one computer security protection. He entered the necessary information, thus opening the lockers, revealing a library of duel monster cards to the awestruck people.

"I suggest you start choosing on this side of the shelves" Kaiba stated smugly, gesturing at the shelves on his right. "I keep the powerful ones there…"

The ancient spirits just watched their modern day allies heading for the house of cards and started taking their picks with the experienced duelists strengthening their decks and guiding the non-duelists in building their own deck.

"Oooh… I've always wanted to have this card…" Serenity chirped as she held out St. Joan to her big brother. "What do you think big brother?"

"That's a good pick, Serenity." Joey answered as he guided his sister in building her deck. "…you might want to add this one in as well" He added as he gave her a polymerization, diffusion, Marie the Fallen One and the Forgiving Maiden.

"What do you think of this combo, Yugi…" James asked as he showed his son the cards he has chosen.

"Here's mine, honey." Selena added as she also showed Yugi her cards.

"Both of you chose good cards…" Yugi honestly replied as he saw his parents smiling at him.

A few meters away, Kaiba was giving Mokuba some powerful cards. He went towards another shelf to find a perfect combo for Mokuba's cards.

"Here Mokuba…" Rebecca said softly, blushing as she slowly approached Mokuba and handed him a Tyrant Dragon card. "This is a powerful card…"

"Oh… Thanks, Rebecca" Mokuba mumbled. As he reached out to take the card, he touched Rebecca's hand. Both turned away almost immediately to hide their blood-red faces.

A few meters away, Yugi noticed Tea picking out cards in one corner. Unknown to him his parents happened to notice his feelings for her.

"Talk to her…" James coaxed his love-struck son as he nudged him towards Tea. He and Selena went to the opposite direction, leaving Yugi alone and only a few meters from the love of his life.

_This is it… _Yugi thought, his heart pounding as he repeated the three meaningful words over and over in his mind…

_I want to tell you that…_

_I love you…_

_and…_

_I want to know whether you will love me back… _

_Even though you love the Pharaoh more than me…_

Yugi gulped before taking a deep breath as he started walking towards Tea. His heart was pounding as he neared her. He started hyperventilating, but he shook it off. He was intent on telling her, lifting the heavy burden off his heart.

Soon after, Tea noticed Yugi nearing her. She stared at him with her beautiful sparkling eyes as she greeted her good friend. "Hello Yugi."

Yugi stopped in front of Tea. He did not know what to say. His heart was pounding so hard that he was worried that Tea might hear it.

_It's now or never…_

Yugi took a deep breath but before he could even say anything, Tea showed him her chosen cards.

"What do you think, Yugi." She asked softly as she showed him her hand.

"That's a great combo, Tea." Yugi answered sadly as he looked down, disappointed at another missed opportunity.

"Is there something wrong??" Tea inquired, placing her hand on his shoulder.

_No… I will not miss this chance…_ Yugi thought as he felt Tea's soft hand on his shoulder. He shook off the sad expression on his face and looked back up, determination present in his eyes.

"Tea… I want you to know… that… that…" Yugi stammered as he struggled to find the right words jumbled in his mind.

_C'mon… you can do this Yugi…_

He took a deep breath before wheezing the right words out.

"I… Love…You…"

Yugi continued to stare at Tea with wide hopeful eyes looking straight into her now shocked yet beautiful sparkling blue eyes, proving to her that his statement was genuine. She stared back at him, her mouth hanging open as her face expressed an unreadable reaction…. Tension filled their surroundings as both friends continued to stare at each other, unsure of how to react…


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Hey ya'll…. Sorry for the cliffhangers (for the record, I did all those on purpose….) But I can't help it…. I just figured that there should be something else other than action here though I'm not very good with romance, I love toying with the characters' feelings… Anyway, Yugi's been crushing on Tea for sometime… I just want to break the barrier between them…. In my way….**

* * *

**Ambush**

Tea stared at Yugi, stunned as the latter finally expressed his true feelings. At first she thought it was a prank, masterminded by Joey, but seeing the genuine look on Yugi's eyes told her that this was real, his feelings for her were real.

"Yugi…. I…um" Tea stammered as she struggled to find a way to tell Yugi how she felt at the moment.

"Tea… I know that this may be hard for you to take" Yugi quickly interrupted as he mustered the strength to continue. "I've always loved you… ever since you stood up for me when Joey and Tristan were still bullying me…." He looked down and took another deep breath before continuing. "I know that you only see me as a friend… I was hoping that maybe…. maybe we can become something more…. than just friends…."

He looked up as he finished his last statement, hoping that Tea will not shoot him down.

Tea maintained her shocked look for a short moment before snapping out of her trance-like state. She opened her mouth, finding the words too difficult to release.

"Yugi…. I…. I'm not sure…" Tea started as she placed her partially clenched hand over her chest. "I…I…"

"It's ok, Tea…" Yugi started as he slowly took hold of Tea's other hand. "I've always known…. that you loved the Pharaoh…I was hoping that you'd give me a chance…"

Upon hearing Yugi's words, tears fell from Tea's aquamarine eyes. She clenched her hand that was resting on her chest as she turned away from Yugi, struggling to fight the tears.

"Tea… It's not what you think…." Yugi stammered as he tightened his grip on Tea's hand. "I—"

"Yugi…. I'm sorry… I… I can't" Tea sobbed as she pulled her hand from Yugi's grasp and ran away in another direction.

"I'm such an idiot…" Yugi sighed sadly as he turned around and walked towards the ancient spirits.

"Yugi… What's wrong??... Why the sad face…" Mana inquired as she took notice of the sad tri colored haired teen sitting down next to her.

"It's nothing, Mana…" Yugi sighed as he looked up to meet the apprentice magician's eyes.

"It's certainly not a nothing because it would be a something if it made you sad…" Chris stated…

"What seems to be bothering you, little one?" Dartz asked as he also took notice.

"It's just that, I'm mad at myself for not thinking before acting…" Yugi stated as he turned away.

"Are you saying that this plan was formed out of plain ignorance??" Aknamkanon snapped upon hearing Yugi's answer. "My son's soul is at stake here and you just formed this plan we all agreed on without thinking???" He stood up and walked away, followed by the ancient Egyptians, from Yugi and the Atlantians. "I should have known better…. I am not going to put my son's safety in the hands of a thoughtless fool."

"WAIT… PHARAOH AKNAMKANON…" Yugi shouted as he chased after the fast walking Egyptians, catching everyone's attention.

Pharaoh Aknamkanon stopped in his tracks. The other ancient Egyptians mirroring his move as they all turned towards the now panting Yugi who stopped in front of them.

"We're off to save Atem." Priest Seto snapped as he stood in front of Yugi. "We do not have time for this pointless act. My cousin is suffering as we speak."

"Unlike you, we think things through…" Mahaad added as he stared at Yugi with fierce eyes. "We understand that you are deeply sorry but we can't waste anymore time…. Especially on making plans thoughtlessly…"

"It's not what you think." Yugi said quickly. "Planning out the rescue mission was focused. The plans are all well thought of…the act I did without thinking is not even related to this mission… It was a part of my pointless social life…"

Priest Seto, Mahaad, and the other ancient Egyptians gazed at their king. Aknamkanon nodded as he calmed down and started heading back towards the Atlantians.

"Next time… please be wise in choosing your words…" Aknamkanon sighed dejectedly, rubbing his forehead as he sat down on the floor, followed by the other ancient Egyptians.

"Ok…" Yugi whispered sadly as he walked away from the ancients and joined his friends who were now gawking at him.

"What was that about??" Joey asked as he shifted his gaze from the ancients to his small friend in front of him.

"Just a little miscommunication…" Yugi answered… "It's over now…"

The others resumed their card picking sessions. Yugi watched everyone go their own way around the shelves before catching a glimpse of Tea.

_Oh… Tea… I did not mean to hurt you… I don't intend to push the pharaoh aside for you to give me a chance… Please don't think that I am going to take advantage of you because he's gone…_

Tea noticed Yugi staring at him. She suddenly hid her face and moved to another direction, disappearing from Yugi's view.

Yugi was about to go after her before a sudden quake shook the ground temporarily as the vault door exploded, knocking the cards off the shelves.

"EVERYONE… MOVE NOW." Kaiba roared as he led the people towards the ancient spirits who gathered at the center of the room.

"SWORDS OF REVEALING LIGHT" Priest Seto bellowed as he cast the spell.

Several golden swords appeared in midair, shielding the people from the crashing debris as monsters burst through and charged at the group, clawing and pounding the shield around Yugi and crew.

"I'll handle this..." Alister stated as he looked at the card he just drew from his deck. "BLOCK ATTACK"

The spell card sent a shining light towards the monsters as Alister placed it on the duel disk, sending the monsters flying from the fading shield.

"Now let's go…" Kaiba demanded as he led the group towards the emergency stairway, leading to the roof. "We can make our escape out in the open…"

Monsters started pouring out of the now exploding walls and floors. Yugi and crew were doing their best to fight all the monsters in their way with their monsters, spells, and traps as they ran straight up the stairs while the spirits destroyed as many monsters that were following them.

"ALMOST THERE… HURRY IT UP EVERYONE" Valon yelled as he pulverized an annoying Inpachi with his armor monsters he was wearing as a battle suit.

The gang finally reached the rooftop only to find a gigantic beast about to fire an attack at them.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

"_**Deep demonic hiss"**_

**_"Deep Demonic Voice" / "Deep Demonic Voice"_**

* * *

**Attack of the Great Serpent **

Yugi and crew scattered, dodging the attack thrown at them by the gigantic serpent. The ball of green fire that came from the serpent's mouth blasted a hole in the roof, pushing the building on the verge of collapse.

"WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE, BEFORE THE LEVIATHAN BLASTS US AGAIN." Raphael roared as he summoned more of his Guardian monsters to fight the great serpent that was the Leviathan.

"I SUMMON VICTORY VIPER XX03"

Duke roared as he slammed the spacecraft type monster card on his duel disk. A blinding flash of white light erupted as the spacecraft emerged, opening its door.

"EVERYONE GET IN… WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME…"

Yugi and crew rushed towards the spacecraft, dodging the Leviathan's blasts while fending off the monsters that were constantly getting in their way.

"There's a monster you don't see everyday." Mana commented as she and the other ancient Egyptians stared at it in awe as they helped the others enter the space craft. "We will try to make sure that the Leviathan does not hit you."

After that statement, Mana transformed into her Ka form and flew after her master, the Dark Magician. Priest Seto took off on top of his Blue Eyes White Dragon, while Pharaoh Aknamkanon rode on top of his newly summoned Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys with Hasan flying by his side. They started attacking the gigantic serpent, flying circles around it to dodge its attacks like flies avoiding the fly swatter.

The spacecraft took off into the skies as soon as the doors closed. The Leviathan chased after them, intent on destroying them while the ancient Egyptians did their best to slow down the flying serpent.

"_**FOOLS…. YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME" **_The Leviathan roared as it flew after the space craft, hitting its attackers with green blasts from its serpentine form.

"We have to do something." Yugi stated as he watched his ancient Egyptian comrades constantly fending off the Leviathan and the other monsters that joined in the fight. "We have to help them."

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement, except for Yugi's parents.

"YUGI… NO… IT'S TOO DANGEROUS…" Selena cried as she pushed forward and hugged her son from behind.

"YUGI… YOU CAN'T…" James stammered as he gripped his son's shoulders. "THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN YOU IN TEN YEARS… I WILL NOT RISK LOSING YOU"

"Mom, Dad… you have nothing to worry about…" Yugi assured his worried parents as he gazed directly in his father's eyes. "I can do this…"

James was shocked at the look of his son's eyes. The usual frightened eyes that were often teary from being beaten and bullied in school were replaced with genuine bravery and confidence. The shaky voice that could barely be heard was now loud and strong. This was the first time Yugi's parents have ever heard him say something with pure confidence and strength. They pulled themselves away from him, shaking their fears and tears away.

"I…We know you can…" James agreed as he and Selena stared at their son, proud of his confidence and strength. "You have changed… You are no longer the shy and quiet boy I knew 10 years ago." He leaned forward and hugged Yugi. "I'm proud of you…Now… go get them…" He added as he released Yugi from his bear hug.

Yugi gazed at Duke and the others, who nodded back at him. He then turned towards the door and activated his duel disk. The others quickly followed as Duke commanded the spacecraft to open its door, letting Joey, The former Doma servants, and Dartz fall into the sky, riding their newly summoned flying monsters while calling more monsters to aid them in attacking the Leviathan and its minions.

Tea was about to jump out after Joey and the others when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Yugi holding her back.

"Tea… please… stay here…" Yugi insisted as he tightened his grip on her shoulder. "I can't---"

"Save it Yugi." Tea snapped without looking at the tri-colored haired teen. She was about to jump when a kryuel swooped and grabbed her.

"TEA" Yugi bellowed as he summoned his Curse of Dragon, rode on it and flew after the kryuel.

Yugi and his dragon caught up with the kryuel after some difficult turns and evasive maneuvers. He tried to go near the monster to save Tea without hurting her, enduring the attacks thrown at them by the Orichalcos Soldiers and the Shadow Monsters along the way.

"LET HER GO" Yugi demanded as he jumped off his dragon and grabbed the kryuel from behind, making it drop Tea.

Before Tea could even summon a monster, she landed on Curse of Dragon's back. She then looked up, shocked to see that Yugi was wrestling the kryuel. The kryuel managed to knock Yugi off, hurdling down the ground.

"DIAMOND DRAGON… COME OUT AND SAVE YUGI" Tea shouted as she summoned the sparkling dragon that immediately caught the unconscious, falling Yugi and handed him over to Tea.

"YUGI… PLEASE WAKE UP…" Tea cried, shaking an unconscious Yugi resting on her lap, staining her clothes with blood, as tears fell from her eyes. "Yugi… Yugi… please…. Don't do this… don't leave us… don't leave me…"

Memories of her times with Yugi flashed in her mind, making her realize something she never realized before.

Tea suddenly stopped crying when she heard a low moan and a stir coming from the unconscious teen on her lap. She looked down and shouted with joy at the sight of the waking Yugi who raised his head.

"Tea… wha… are you alright???" Yugi asked while he was clutching his bleeding head in pain. He was surprised to feel a sudden force wrapping him in a tight hug.

"Yugi… Thank you… and… I'm sorry if I hurt you… I didn't mean to…" Tea stammered as she tightened her embrace. "Thank goodness you're alright…"

Yugi flustered as he felt Tea's tight embrace. He was about to return the hug when a shrill cry filled the air, breaking them apart, as they watched the others battling the Leviathan and its minions… and losing

"_**FOOLISH HUMANS… YOU THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME?? THE GREAT LEVIATHAN, CREATOR OF THE ORICHALCOS???" **_The great serpent shrieked as it blasted Priest Seto's Felgrand Dragon, Joey's Thousand Year Dragon, and Raphael's Guardian Grarl, making the owners yell in pain as their monsters were destroyed.

"I activate the magic card, rain of mercy." Tea whispered softly as she placed the card on the slot. It emitted a blinding light that healed Yugi's head injury.

"Thanks…" Yugi sighed as he rubbed his newly healed head.

"C'mon, let's help them…" Tea stated as she jumped off Yugi's dragon and on top of her Diamond Dragon.

Yugi nodded and followed her towards their fighting comrades, summoning as many monsters their strength allowed them.

"SACRED PHOENIX…. BURN THE MONSTERS TO A CRISP"

Aknamkanon's golden phoenix blasted the flying Aswan Apparitions attempting to attack the two magicians from behind.

"RED EYES… ATTACK" Joey roared as his black dragon charged an attack at a bunch of Kryuel.

"EVERYONE"

The fighters looked back to see Yugi and Tea flying towards them, surrounded by their monsters and with their dragons ready to release their attacks.

"I ACTIVATE LUMINOUS SPARK" Tea bellowed as she activated the spell card, increasing all light monsters' attacks and destroying some enemies nearby with its white light. "NOW, ANCIENT ELF, WINGWEAVER, DIAMOND DRAGON ATTACK" She continued as she ordered the magician elf, six winged fairy and the shimmering dragon to release blasts of white light that charged at a group of Orichalcos Soldiers.

"NOW, SILENT MAGICIAN, SILENT SWORDSMAN, CURSE OF DRAGON, ATTACK THE LEVIATHAN…" Yugi bellowed while riding his Curse of Dragon.

The monsters did as they were commanded. The swordsman charged at the serpent and thrust its sword deep in its side while the magician fired spells at the serpent, making it emit a piercing hiss. Yugi's dark dragon used its signature flamethrower attack, unfortunately, the Leviathan deflected the attack with its wing, sending it right back at Yugi.

"I ACTIVATE RARE GOLD ARMOR ON LEVIATHAN." Dartz bellowed as he cast the spell on the serpent, sending back Yugi's deflected attack right at the serpent while slashing a monster with his legendary sword.

Yugi looked back at Dartz to thank him for the save. Instead of saying thank you, his eyes widened with fear as he saw a sorcerer of the doomed about to attack the Atlantian king from behind.

"DARTZ… BEHIND YOU"

The Atlantian king caught Yugi's warning a little too late as the dark sorcerer launched its attack at him. He was about to be blasted by the attack when a Cyber Harpie appeared behind him, blocked the attack, and sent a powerful gust of wind at the dark sorcerer.

Yugi and Dartz looked up to see the Victory Viper looming fifty feet above them with its door open, revealing the others who were sending down their monsters to aid them.

"Don't worry, we've got your back" Duke announced through the ship's speakers as it started to charge its canon. "VICTORY VIPER, ATTACK WITH PLASMA BLAST"

The spacecraft released its powerful attack right at the serpent, followed by other long range attacks that came from its passenger's monsters.

The serpent cried its eerie cry as it was being bombarded with attacks. It coiled itself like a cobra poised to strike. Its opened mouth and the rest of its coiled form started glowing and suddenly blasted green laser-like attacks in every direction, hitting everyone, who fell back but, fortunately, regained their stance, ready for a counter attack.

"PHARAOH AKNAMKANON"

Atem's father looked to his right to see Seto Kaiba calling him as he neared the Egyptian king and his phoenix.

"What is it??…" Aknamkanon asked sternly as Kaiba's dragon leveled with his phoenix, enabling the two riders to communicate with each other without screaming their throats out.

"Can you summon your Black Luster Soldier??" Kaiba asked curtly as his gaze shifted to the King's followers that neared them, avoiding the serpent's new attacks.

"HOW DARE YOU…" Priest Seto shouted as he stared daggers at the CEO. "YOU CAN'T JUST—" He was cut off as Aknamkanon held his palm out to him, a sign that he was tolerating Kaiba's rude way of asking favors.

"I will… Whatever plan you have… better be worth my Ka." Aknamkanon stated calmly as he summoned his Ka monster, Black Luster Soldier, once more.

Kaiba just smirked as he played three more cards on his duel disk.

"NOW, I FUSE MY BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGONS TO SUMMON BLUE EYES ULTIMATE DRAGON" Kaiba roared as he jumped onto Mokuba's Tyrant Dragon. Blue and orange swirling lights shined from his cards as the three headed dragon rose up and roared at the Leviathan, catching the others' attention.

"This is where the Luster Soldier comes in." He continued as he stared at the king, who nodded at him, knowing what to do.

Aknamkanon closed his eyes, focusing on the spell, and stretched his hand out, releasing a swirling blue and orange mist from his palm, hitting the space between his Ka monster and the three headed dragon. The space between the two monsters immediately started swirling and eventually engulfing the two creatures. When Aknamkanon opened his eyes, the swirling mass of colors suddenly emitted bright rainbow lights. As it faded, Dragon Master Knight levitated in its place.

"EVERYONE… OUT OF THE WAY… IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET BLASTED…" Kaiba bellowed at the others. Upon hearing the warning, they immediately rushed towards Kaiba's side, a safe distance from the attacking range of the Dragon Master Knight.

"DRAGON MASTER KNIGHT… ATTACK WITH GALAXY CRUSHER" Aknamkanon and Kaiba bellowed in unison as the monster released a powerful combined blast, strengthened by the presence of dragon type monsters, right at the startled serpent that released a counter attack from its mouth and body.

"CURSE OF DRAGON, SILENT MAGICIAN… HELP THEM OUT." Yugi ordered his dragon and magician. The dark dragon opened its mouth and fired a flamethrower attack straight at the Leviathan, closely followed by a blast of white light from the magician.

The others mirrored his move and commanded their other monsters to fire long-range attacks at the serpent. The colliding attacks resulted in an explosion that blinded everyone in a choking dark smoke.

"**Leviathan…. Come…."**

A deep demonic voice echoed around Yugi and crew. They all looked around, but failed to see anything as the smoke prevented them from finding the source of the demonic call.

When the smoke cleared, everyone was surprised to find the Orichalcos monsters gone and the tip of the Leviathan's tail disappearing into a portal.

"Cowardly snake…" Dartz hissed as he returned his magical sword back in its sheath. "It must've activated a dimension spell, using the smoke as cover."

"HEY… EVERYONE…" 

Hearing Duke's voice through a speaker, they all looked up to see his Victory Viper nearing them, opening its door as it stopped in midair. Everyone aboard smiled as they all welcomed the fighters who entered the space craft. They were all happy that they managed to stop the beast from completely destroying the city, but upset that the monster got away.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Hello everyone out there…. Thanks for reading my stories….Anyway, I just want to know that most of this chapter will contain some of my ideas…. for ****possible**** future fics…**

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**Reminiscence**

Shadi has told them where Atem was being held, so now, they were on their way to Egypt, to be specific, the place where Yugi and the others parted with the ancient king. The spacecraft was going at a steady rate. The spirits have cast a spell around it, making it invisible to the monsters' eyes. Yugi and the crew sat around a large table talking and listening to each other's stories in an effort to distract themselves from the thought of food.

"I'm starving over here…" Joey whined as he clutched his grumbling stomach. "Duke, can't you order this space ship to give us some grub??? I can't kick butt on an empty stomach…"

"Joey, all of us are as hungry as you, but, you don't hear us whine about it…" Tristan stated as he rested his chin on his hand.

"Sorry guys but, Victory Viper only has weapons…." Duke replied as he also clutched his hungry stomach…

"Sometimes… I really feel sorry for the living…" Mana stated sadly as she and the other spirits just looked at their living comrades with sorry eyes, unable to feel their pain as they no longer experienced normal bodily functions.

"We all need to be at our strongest to be able to win this war…" Aknamkanon stated as he stood up from the futuristic table, catching everyone's attention. "I suggest we maintain our strength with these…" He looked to Priest Seto and Priest Mahaad, who nodded back as they stood up. All three ancient Egyptians held their palms out and started conjuring fresh food out of thin air.

"WOW… YOU HAVE GOT TO TEACH US HOW TO DO THAT" Joey and Tristan exclaimed as they, together with the others, started helping themselves to the feast.

"You have to be born with magic to be able to do it…" Aknamkanon stated casually as he and the other spirits watched their comrades' happy faces as they satisfied their hunger.

"It would have been more helpful if it would have been a couple of minutes earlier…" Dartz laughed as he magically got a piece of roasted lamb and savored it.

"I thought you spirits don't need to eat…" Raphael asked as he sat next to his former master while taking a bite out of a freshly grilled tuna.

"Yes… we don't need to eat… but we can if we want to." Dartz answered as he met Raphael's gaze. "We no longer experience normal bodily functions except for the senses… you know… sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell…"

"So… I can do this…" Raphael stated smugly as he raised his fist in midair and punched the Atlantian king, knocking him off of his chair. "THAT WAS FOR DESTROYING MY FAMILY, AND FOR VALON'S AND ALISTER'S AS WELL"

The others rushed towards Raphael, trying to restrain him and convince him out of it as he moved in for another attack.

"Shouldn't we do something???" Priest Seto asked his king, who just stared at the fight.

"I do not think our efforts are needed." Aknamkanon stated calmly as he simply stood there and watched Dartz's family rushing towards their king. "They will have it under control."

Raphael was about to punch Dartz when Chris stood in the way once more, spreading her arms to protect her father from Raphael's rage.

"Please…. stop hurting him… he does not deserve the blame…" Chris begged as the rampaging Raphael was about to push her out of the way. "The Orichalcos took control of him and made him do all those horrible things…"

"She's right Raphael" Rebecca added. Everyone now focused their attention on Rebecca as she continued. "The Orichalcos makes you do horrible things that you would probably never do. It clouded its victims' minds with evil… Pharaoh Atem and Dartz were among the many victims of its dark magic, you were one of its victims too." She stared at the former Doma minions who looked away.

"I know how you feel, Raphael. I felt the exact same way when Yugi's soul was taken. I was really mad at Atem for letting it happen…. But… now I know that it's not his fault…" Rebecca finished as she looked into Raphael's eyes.

Raphael calmed down as he saw Rebecca's point. He remembered what the Orichalcos felt like when he activated it, the evil surging into him from the Orichalcos stone when he wore it around his neck. He approached Dartz and held out his hand, helping the Atlantian king back up on his feet.

"I apologize for that…" Raphael stated apologetically. "I hope you will not hold it against me."

"It is alright." Dartz replied as he sat back down. "I half expected you to get even anyway. I really regretted everything I did using the Orichalcos and that is why I never fought back when you attacked me. Don't worry… I will not hold it against you." He added as he rubbed the offended part.

"Now that that's settled, can we go back to eating??" Joey asked mockingly as he grabbed another piece of warm, cheese filled bread and took a gigantic bite out of it.

Everyone calmed down and resumed back to their places around the table, eating and drinking as they continued interacting with one another.

Pharaoh Aknamkanon smiled at seeing his comrades getting along. He reached out for a ripe plum in front of him, chuckling as the fruit brought back some precious memories.

"No offense, Pharaoh A-k-na— can I just call you Pharaoh 'Nam' for short???" Joey asked loudly "Your name happens to be a mouthf---" he was cut off when he felt a sharp pain on his ribs.

"You nimrod… that is not a way to talk to a king…" Tea hissed as she elbowed Joey while the others gave him 'how-stupid-can-you-possibly-be' looks. "You do not have any reason to talk to him like that…" They all stared at the Ancient Egyptians, frightened as they thought of the possible consequences for disrespecting a generous and powerful pharaoh in front of his loyal and powerful subjects.

Sure enough, Priest Seto, Mahaad and Shadi all wore fierce angry looks, they were about to open their mouths when Aknamkanon held his arm out to them.

"This time is different from our own…" Aknamkanon stated as he put his arm down. "They have different beliefs and cultures here, so, we must learn to respect their differences." He took a deep breath as he felt the tension disappear. He gazed at his son's friends, putting on a warm smile on his face, ready to entertain the question.

"Anyway…" Joey continued, constantly looking around on high alert, making sure he wouldn't receive another blow from anyone else around him and that the way he would ask the question won't make Atem's father mad. "I was planning to ask you a question, your majesty, before I was rudely interrupted…" he added as he stared angrily at Tea who just rolled her eyes upon hearing Joey's kiss up style and mumbled something under her breath that made Kaiba, behind her, smirk. "But… what was so funny about the plum???"

Aknamkanon chuckled as the blonde finally asked his question, playing safe style. "Plums happen to be Atem's favorite…. Seeing one just makes me remember the good old days…"

"Can you share with us some of your stories, Pharaoh Aknamkanon??" Yugi asked innocently as he and the others stopped chatting and looked at Atem's father with eager eyes. "Since he had no memory of his past when he was with us, we did not know much about him plus he's the type who often keeps to himself." He added as he moved closer to the Egyptian pharaoh and sat down a chair three feet away.

Mana started giggling as Priest Seto and Priest Mahaad shared playful yet devious looks, each remembering all the fun adventures they had been through with Atem. Aknamkanon just glanced at them and smiled before turning back to Yugi and his friends. With help from the ancient Egyptians in the room, Aknamkanon started telling the story of his son's life to the eager listeners.

Everyone eagerly listened to the stories, even the skeptical Kaiba. Aknamkanon has told them of Atem's habits of hiding in palace vases when he was a wee toddler, making everyone in the room, including Kaiba and Dartz, snicker at the thought of Atem inside a vase, hiding from his tutors.

He also shared with them his son's genuine diligence, amazing brilliance, and advanced wisdom in his studies to the point that he even outsmarted his professors. This did not surprise anyone, except for Yugi's parents, as they were all aware of Atem's capabilities from the past duels he's been through.

He also told them of his son's incredible power and keen observation skills as he told the story of how Atem summoned Kuriboh, the very first shadow monster he has ever summoned, at the age of three, making the listeners realize why Atem valued the hairball, despite the fact that he did not remember why, he always said that Kuriboh was special to him for some reason and should never be underestimated.

Aknamkanon also told them of the cheerful face his son often wore whenever his pranks got the best of others especially that of Priest Seto, making the high priest and the other ancient Egyptians smirk playfully while the listeners gave each other shocked yet funny looks as they hardly ever see Atem's funny side.

He even told them of his son's genuine compassion when he saved an orphaned lion cub and an injured fox kit that grew up as his loyal pets and even saved his life numerous times.

Mana also shared how she first met Atem and how happy and cheerful he always was. The listeners laughed as the apprentice magician described the way she jumped inside a vase to hide from her master magician, when she was three, and landed on top of the four year old prince for the very first time.

She and Mahaad told them of Atem's crafty and uncanny abilities to get out of trouble and help others. They shared that he always had good intentions whenever he used his cunning and craftiness. They also shared all the fun times they had together with Priest Seto and Atem, making the high priest look away while the others laughed upon hearing the story of Priest Seto and Atem's funny mock argument, all the games the four of them played and the wacky adventures they had been through.

Priest Seto even shared the times he spent with his cousin, who happened to be five years younger than the high priest. He told them of all the times he has been protecting and annoying him with his big brotherly treatment, all the silly teasing and name calling, the tickle fights and games they played together when they were younger, making Mokuba and the others look at Kaiba with mischievous smiles on most of their faces. Kaiba just looked away, pretending not to notice.

But not everything was a good and funny story. The ancient Egyptians told them of all the things, good and bad, Atem has been through when he was a prince to his three year reign as a pharaoh, making the listeners laugh and smile at the good and funny ones and felt upset at the bad and painful ones. The story ended with Priest Seto telling everyone how Atem gave him the crown before his soul was sealed inside the puzzle.

Everyone's expressions went from happy to downright heartbroken as they listened to how Atem was sealed in the puzzle. The people who used to hate the pharaoh and had done horrible things to make him suffer looked down, regretting everything they did to hurt the young pharaoh.

"If only I knew…. I would have never turned my back on my duties as tomb keeper…" Marik whispered as he bowed low…. "… I did so many bad things to the pharaoh, not knowing that our ancestors owe him their lives."

"He's really very noble…. He allowed himself to suffer for the sake of the world…" Rebecca mumbled… "I can't believe I said all those nasty things about him…"

"I can't believe I used to think he was an evil pharaoh…" Raphael mumbled regretfully while clenching his fist. "… when in fact he is not evil. He sacrificed himself to save the world, and what did he get as a thank you??? A ton of bashing and pain…"

"You don't have to worry about anything, guys" Yugi stated as he shook his tears off. "I'm sure he forgives you… he is very forgiving after all…"

"Guess being royalty can also have its consequences." Joey added as he clenched his fist. "Poor Atem… He's been kidnapped, tortured, and ransomed when he was a prince…He's been almost assassinated, overworked, and had to seal himself inside the puzzle when he was a pharaoh… and now… he's suffering in the hands of a nasty demon… talk about having it bad… although he did have good times…"

Everyone kept quiet after Joey's last statement, becoming more determined to rescue Atem. Aknamkanon and the other ancient Egyptians shared sad looks before standing up.

"I can say this with genuine honesty." Aknamkanon stated. "My son, Atem, is an intelligent, kind-hearted, wise, and brave person. We all relate to him differently, but the way we see him is one and the same. He is a knowledgeable, loyal, forgiving and trustworthy friend who can always be counted on" He stared at the Atlantian spirits, Shadi, Mana, Mahaad, and the living people all around him.

"He is a thoughtful, good, and obedient son I am very much proud of." He paused for a while.

"He is an understanding and playful cousin… who never ceases to bring joy in everyone's hearts" He continued as he looked at Priest Seto.

Aknamkanon, struggling to restrain his tears, paused for a while, clearing his throat and stared at everyone in the room before continuing. "He is a brave, wise, and thoughtful leader who willingly sacrificed himself for the safety of everyone… Someone as good as him does not deserve to suffer eternal pain… I know you are all motivated to save him as much as we are… The road ahead will be dangerous… I hope you will not let your motivation and strength waver…"

"Don't worry Pharaoh Aknamkanon." Yugi stated as he placed a determined look on his tear-stained face. "Atem is one of the best and closest friends I have ever had. He taught me bravery and confidence. He saved me and my friends countless times. He did so many good things for us. Now, it's our turn to do something for him…" Yugi stated confidently

Everyone in the room put on determined looks as they all agreed to save Atem. Aknaamkanon smiled and thanked them for their response.

"I think it is time for all of us to get a good sleep. We need to keep our strength up." Aknamkanon stated as he and the other ancients headed for the only room in the spacecraft.

"We just have one problem…" Duke added as he scratched the back of his head in an apologetic manner. "This ship only has one room. We can't all fit in there…"

Aknamkanon just smiled at the emerald eyed teen as he stood in front of the room. "Apparently, someone has not been observing what we can do."

Aknamkanon and the other ancients closed their eyes and cast a multiply spell and an enchantment spell, multiplying the rooms, giving one for each person, and making the inside of the ship bigger than normal.

Everyone got inside and settled in, most of them falling asleep almost immediately as the spacecraft crossed the purple and black, lightning streaked skies, nearing the Great Pyramids that appeared as small triangles in the distance, getting bigger by the minute.

.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Hi again… Forgive me, but I'm not very good at love stories, and this chap is filled with it… so… Don't expect it to be really good…**

**(WARNING… THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS LOVEY DOVEY KISSY KISSY MOMENTS…)**

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**More than Just a Friend**

The space craft was still flying at a steady speed through the shadowy, starless night. The moon was barely seen behind the darkness as the eerie lightning kept on passing by. Everyone in the spacecraft was sound asleep except for four people, pondering on their thoughts…

_I don't understand…_

_Why am I starting to feel like this…_

_About Yugi…_

_Ever since… that time I thought he was going to… die…_

_When he saved me from that monster…._

_When he risked his life for me…._

"Tea… Hello… Tea… earth to Tea…"

Tea was sitting at the edge of her bed, deep in thought, not noticing the two girls trying to get her attention, until she felt a pillow hitting her square in the face…

"Ow…." Tea moaned, more of in shock than in pain. "What's gotten into you two?? Ever heard about knocking??"

She glared at the two girls who dropped their pillows and sat on either side of Tea.

"Well…. The door was open so we thought we would let ourselves in…" Mana chirped as she placed a hand on Tea's shoulder. "Wow… all these… what did you call these again??" she stared at Rebecca who was seated on Tea's other side.

"Modern technology" Rebecca stated proudly while closing her eyes, wagging her index finger like a teacher teaching a kindergarten student.

"Right… it's amazing…" Mana stated happily before her expression became serious. "But that is not why we're here…"

At Mana's words, Tea jolted up. A look of surprise and fear crossed her face.

_Why do I have this feeling…_

_That… they know…_

_About what I'm going through…_

"Tea… Do you like Atem???" Mana asked seriously.

Tea stared at Mana before pulling away.

_I knew it…._

"Of course I like him. He's one of the closest friends I ever---"

"I mean… like like…." Mana interrupted. "You know… more than just a friend…."

"I… well… I…" Tea started before she closed her eyes.

_Maybe it would be best… if I speak my true feelings out…. Without anymore façade in the way…_

She took a deep breath and spoke what has been on her mind. "I used to… but now…. I realize that… we are not meant to be… He has someone else… and... that I have someone else…" she opened her eyes to look into Mana's face. Her features illuminated by the dimming moonlight.

"I'm guessing that that someone…" Rebecca started as she leaned forward, catching Tea's attention. "… is Yugi"

Tea eyes widened upon hearing what Rebecca just said.

_Rebecca… how… what…. _

_Did she really notice…_

_About how confused and in denial I am…_

_But how??_

"Rebecca… How did you---" she asked

"Oh please Tea…" Rebecca said while she rolled her eyes and rubbed her temple. "All those times you get mad whenever I get sweet with Yugi… it's pretty obvious… Those times, you did not realize those feelings yet… you thought that they were just a manifestation of your feelings for someone else…but they are not…"

_She will probably threaten me to stay away from Yugi… _Tea thought sadly

"Ok…. I admit it… I just realized it as well… Now I know that Yugi is the one for me and I'm the one for him…" Tea continued as tears formed in her eyes. "But I shot him down… I---"

"Tea… you're acting as if you don't know Yugi…." Rebecca whispered gently as she stood up and held Tea's hands and led her to the door. "C'mon, let's go talk to him…"

"But Rebecca…" Tea started. "I thought that you love---"

"Guess it was just infatuation…" Rebecca interrupted. "Like you, I realized that there is someone else for me…"

The three ladies then walked out of the room.

"I think I'll call it a night…" Mana stated cheerfully as she entered her room "Good luck to both of you…"

As soon as the young magician closed the door, she stopped her façade, showing what she really felt on the inside. Her cheerful persona was replaced with a sad and hurt self, tormented by the thoughts of her childhood friend's horrible fate.

"Atem…. Why?... why do you have to let yourself suffer…." She sobbed quietly as she headed for her bed and muffled her moans by pressing a pillow tightly on her face…

"I really miss you…. I just want to be with you…. You promised… you promised that we will be together when you will return… You said that… you will come back… we will be together forever…. Those were the very last words you said to me… before you… sealed yourself inside the… puzzle…. Now… you allowed yourself… to suffer eternal pain…. For the freedom… of the shadow's innocent victims…"

Tears fell from her dark green eyes as she silently displaced her grief out into her pillow.

Meanwhile… In Yugi's quarters…

_Atem…._

_Hang in there…._

_We're coming for you…_

Yugi was in his room, staring out into the darkened sky, in deep thought when a knock at his door brought him back to his senses.

"Who is it???" Yugi asked as he turned around to face the door.

"Yugi… it's us, Tea and Rebecca." The voice answered. Yugi was shocked, he started panicking as he rushed towards the door and opened it.

_Tea?? _

_And Rebecca??_

_Together???_

_And wanting to see me at a time and situation like this??? _

_This is not good…_

"What's wrong???" Yugi asked, eyes widening as he met the gazes of Rebecca and Tea, attempting to hide his building tension.

"Nothing much…." Tea answered softly. "May we come in??"

"Sure thing…" Yugi stated as he quickly and clumsily stepped aside to let the two ladies in.

_I hope this has nothing to do with what I said to Tea when we were at Kaiba's vault…_

"We sure found a lot of things about Atem" Yugi stated shakily, attempting to change subject he's expecting as he closed the door and turned to look at the two ladies who were standing by his window, his heart pounding faster than normal as he focused on Tea who was looking at him, making him nervous.

"Yeah… we sure did…" Tea agreed while Rebecca giggled.

"um… Yugi…. I don't know how to say this….." Tea stated slowly as she looked away from the tri-colored haired teen and placed her partially clenched fist on her chest. "I….I…I've been thinking about what you have said… or rather what you have asked me…. Back at Kaiba's vault…."

Yugi froze, expecting his hopes to be crushed as he listened to Tea…

_Tea…_

_please… _

_I was not trying to push your feelings for the pharaoh away….._

_I was a jerk for blurting it out the wrong way…_

_I don't blame you for being mad… _

_or hurt… _

"I…I…" Tea stammered, face reddening from the tension that formed in the room.

"Girl, just spit it out…" Rebecca snapped as she nudged her side…

"I now realized that… I feel the exact same way about you…" Tea said slowly as she stared into Yugi's eyes with genuine honesty.

Yugi's eyes widened with surprise. He clenched his fist as he struggled to find the right words.

_Did she just say…_

_that she felt the exact same way… I feel about her…._

_That she also loves me??? _

_This must be a joke…. _

_Or more appropriately…_

_a defense mechanism…_

"Tea… you… don't have to… force yourself to… love me… because… the pharaoh is not… with us…." Yugi stammered as a tear escaped from his eye. "I may look like Atem, but, I'm not him….so… please… if you…. only want to be with me…. because…. you want to be with someone who… at least looks like Atem…. then don't… because... I'm not Atem…"

"Yugi" Tea started as she approached the weeping Yugi. "It's not---"

"I'm not Atem, Tea." Yugi continued, cutting Tea off as he looked down, avoiding her gaze. "I love you… and….I want you to be happy…. I do not want you to force yourself to love me only because I look like Atem… If you really love me, then…. I just want that, to you, I will be Yugi, the guy Tea loves for who he is and not the guy who Tea forced herself to love because he looks just like Atem…..

"Don't worry the feelings I have for you are not a projection of my feelings for Atem…" Tea whispered genuinely, making Yugi look into her cerulean eyes that were sparkling in the dim lighting of the room. "I now accept the fact that Atem and I are not destined to be together… He was born three thousand years ago… he is not even a part of our generation…" She continued as she closed her eyes, letting her tears freely slide down her cheeks.

"I'm sure he does not love me the way I have loved him… this is because he already has someone special during his time… and that someone is not me…" Tea continued as she opened her majestic blue eyes and gazed at Yugi.

"This is for real, Yugi…. I realized my feelings for you when you saved me from that monster that grabbed me… You have always been there for me ever since we were in grade school… you always cared about me… You are a brave, kind, intelligent, and sweet person that is willing to sacrifice almost everything for a friend." Tea stated softly as she gently placed a hand on Yugi's cheek.

"I love you… for who you really are… the one and only… Yugi Mutou…" Tea whispered as she brought her face down, leveling her cerulean eyes with Yugi's bright amethyst eyes that widened with surprise and hope. His heart was pounding uncontrollably. His face was reddening as he started hyperventilating and imagining what he never thought would be possible.

"Tea…" Yugi stated as he stared into the brunette's eyes. He was surprised to see the look of genuine honesty in them… before feeling a kiss on his lips…

Yugi was shocked yet he closed his eyes and kissed the brunette back. The moon barely peeked through the darkened sky but it managed to give the room decent lighting, illuminating the trio. Rebecca was standing a few meters away from the kissing couple, smiling as she watched her former self acclaimed boyfriend finding happiness with the one he loved for who knew how long.

After a minute the couple slowly broke apart and stared into each other's eyes. It may have been only for a short time, but it felt like an eternity for the two lovebirds. Yugi looked over Tea's shoulder, surprised to see Rebecca standing behind her.

"Rebecca…" Yugi started slowly while Tea stared at the little blonde, giving her a friendly, warm smile.

"It's ok Yugi…" Rebecca stated gently… "I want you to be happy… I've known about your feelings for Tea for quite some time…" She added, genuine honesty clearly heard in her voice as she approached the two and knelt down beside Tea. "Besides… I also realized that we are not meant to be… I found someone else… by the name of Mokuba…" She stood up before cupping the side of her face with her hand. "Don't tell Kaiba…"

Yugi and Tea just smiled, staring into each others' eyes, not believing, but loving, what just happened before standing up and heading in opposite directions.

"Well… I think it's time for us to get some sleep…" Rebecca stated as she went out of the room, followed by Tea.

"Good night Yugi…" Tea whispered as she closed the door, leaving Yugi alone in his room once more, smiling at the thought of Tea finally accepting him as more than just a friend.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Hi everyone…. I'm sure that this chapter might interest you….. Why???.... The answer's in the title…..**

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* * *

**The Rescue**

Screams filled the surroundings of the demon's lair as the dark cretins resumed torturing the captive soul. The countless dark gremlins started biting the pharaoh who was still chained onto the torture board, raking their claws onto the screaming king, spilling glowing white shards and liquid in every direction.

Atem was struggling and screaming amidst the gremlins' laugher as they continued torturing him, their combined weight made the white hot spikes dig deeper onto his back, making him cry out in agony. Some of the gremlins went for the reels and started reeling back the chains once more, making Atem scream louder as he felt his limbs being pulled apart.

Tears streamed down Atem's eyes as he desperately tried to distract himself from the pain. He tried to think about Yugi, his friends, and all the times he had with them.

He tried to focus on the memories that were once lost, erased when he sealed himself inside the puzzle, and now finally returned. He remembered the fun times he had when he was still a prince. Every precious moment he spent with his father, his mother, his cousin, his friends, and…. the love of his life….…

_Please… don't be mad at me…._

_I did this….. all for you…. _

_I want all of you to enjoy yourselves…._

_To be in peace…._

_But…. My sacrifice was useless….._

_I have sentenced myself to eternal suffering…._

_In exchange for what I thought would bring peace…._

_I was wrong…._

_All of you are still in trouble…._

_All of you are getting hurt…._

_The worst part of it all….._

_Was that…_

_Unknowingly… The demons were still at large…. Gaining power_

_And… I walked right into their prison….._

His defense mechanism failed as burning pain clouded his mind. He closed his eyes as tight as he could, desperately trying to focus his mind away from the searing pain that continued to attack him.

_I don't know… how much more… I can take…._

_This is eternal… and…. my destruction will never be permanent…._

_But… I do not know how much longer…_

_My sanity will last…_

A dozen gremlins came scurrying towards the tortured pharaoh, carrying white hot whips, spears, and beating rods. The ones on top of the pharaoh scattered away, giggling and squealing eerily, leaving a shredded pile of white that used to be Atem's chest.

Atem cringed as he raised his head to look at what's left of his shredded chest when he felt another white hot burning pain that made him scream once more as the gremlins started stabbing and whipping him with their white hot whips and sharp beating rods.

The anguished pharaoh was constantly letting out piercing screams as the gremlins continued to torture him. Suddenly a burst of red flames erupted at the center of the chamber, signaling the arrival of the demon Zorc.

"**I see a lot has happened when I was gone…"** Zorc boomed as he stepped out of the fading red flames and approached his captive.

The dark gremlins scurried off the tortured king and settled a few meters from him, screeching, giggling, and hissing as they watched their master nearing the struggling pharaoh.

The demon smirked as he stopped in front of his chained captive who had a mixture of fear and defiance on his face.

"Stay…. away… from me…" Atem barked weakly as the demon neared him once more, bearing his sharp fangs at him.

"**You are my prisoner…"** Zorc hissed. His grotesque features inches from Atem's fear stricken yet determined face. The demon's hot breath sent shivers down the young pharaoh's spine but Atem stayed strong, showing no signs of breaking down while the dark gremlins just shrieked with eerie laughter as their master was about to make his move… **"I can do whatever I want with you…."**

The demon then pushed himself towards Atem, sinking his fangs onto the young pharaoh's neck that spurted out white glowing liquid as the demon sank his fangs deeper.

Atem shrieked as the demon started to suck on the white glowing liquid that was seeping out of his punctured neck. The young pharaoh's screams was slowly fading as he was weakened by the demon sucking on him. He tried to wrench Zorc away, making the demon take hold of the side of his face as he continued to drain the pharaoh, like a vampire would to a helpless victim…

After some time, Zorc stopped his feasting. He pulled himself off of the poor, half conscious pharaoh. His fanged mouth stained with Atem's spirit blood as he watched his panting captive fall limp, weakened from the brutal assault.

The demon grabbed Atem by his now glowing white neck, choking the young pharaoh. He then burned the pharaoh's shackles off and dragged him back to the altar. The demon held Atem in between the two demonic snakes as the chains emitted a dark aura, magically shackling the pharaoh in the same widespread position.

"**Your friends are almost here… armed and ready to save you…"** Zorc whispered as he released his grip on the pharaoh's neck. **"To make it a little bit easier, I'll allow them to come in here to fetch you… and… I have prepared a little something for their trouble."**

Atem's eyes widened as a dark pathway opened in front of the altar. The demon just chuckled at the look on his face before turning away and started whispering something to one of his minions. Suddenly, Atem felt something jump on his face.

The gremlin that Zorc was talking to earlier was clinging onto the young pharaoh's face, forcing his mouth open. Atem tried to fight back but failed as the gremlin forced a black solid substance through his jaws, choking him as the dark creature pushed it deeper into his mouth. A gag, silencing him and making sure that he did not spoil the demon's surprise for his rescuers.

"**Your friends will get quite a surprise once they get to you…"** Zorc whispered as he watched his prisoner trying to wrench the gag off and struggling against the restraints before he and his minions disappeared into the darkness.

Meanwhile… outside the demon's lair…

Dawn was approaching, illuminating the Egyptian desert dimly. The sun barely shone through the shadowy sky, making the morning seem like night. The space craft finally landed in the Egyptian sand, opening its door to reveal the well rested duelists. They immediately activated their duel disks, anticipating enemies to come out of the strangely quiet and empty surroundings.

"This is unexpected…" Valon commented as he got off the ship's ramp, followed by the others, summoning some monsters as they stepped on the smooth sands of the desert.

"Maybe they saw us comin' and ran off like the sacredly monsters they are…" Joey stated brightly as he placed his hands on the back of his head while looking around casually.

"Only a brainless goofball would think that….. let alone say it out loud…." Kaiba sneered, making Joey fume with burning rage…

"C'mon guys…. the Eye of Wdjat is this way…" Yugi stated as he led the others east. "We can't waste anymore time…"

Yugi and crew were heading for the place where the Ceremonial Battle took place. They were constantly looking around, on high alert, expecting a surprise attack but to no avail.

"This is not right…" Priest Mahaad stated while he and Mana were levitating around the gang in their Ka forms. "It's like they are just letting us through…"

The rocky desert was completely dim and deserted. The sun did not completely arise and dominate the shadows as the darkness continued to shield its rays. Not a single animal or monster was present as they neared the cave where Yugi and the Pharaoh dueled. They were shocked at what they saw in its place.

The whole area which used to be golden sandstones was covered in pure black shadowy like substances with statues of demonic serpents poised on both sides. What used to be the entrance was now a black blob of swirling mass of darkness, emitting lightning at its edges.

"…So you're sayin' that… Atem's in there…" Joey stated shakily as the dark sight sent shivers down his and everyone else's spines.

"You guys ready for this??" Yugi added as he stared at his allies who all nodded back at him, determination and courage present on their features as they slowly and stealthily gathered around the dark portal…

They all stopped a few meters in front of the dark swirling portal, not knowing whether to just enter or attack it.

"This looks like the same kind of dark magic that appeared during Yugi's battle against Pegasus back in the duelist kingdom." Tea stated quietly as she took a closer look at it.

"We can just go through it…" Aknamkanon stated as he silently commanded his newly summoned Little Chimera to appear in front of him. "We just need to know whether there are traps beyond the shadows…"

With a wave of his hand, the Little Chimera stealthily jumped inside the shadows. Aknamkanon then closed his eyes, activating the Shadow of Eyes charm, enabling him to see through his Little Chimera's eyes.

The Little Chimera stealthily walked through the dark corridor. As it neared the end of the corridor, its gleaming eyes caught sight of a spirit hanging limply on his shackles, his form emitting a very weak blinking glow while white glowing liquid and shards of white littered his surroundings and the rest of his form, the terrible sight stabbed Aknamkanon's heart, before a sudden swoop destroyed the chimera, making the elder pharaoh fall back. His subjects quickly caught him before he hit the ground while the others stared in shock yet poised themselves ready for the attack.

"Pharaoh Aknamkanon…" Priest Seto exclaimed in panic as he watched his king's shocked features.

"He's in there… Atem… He's right at the end of the dark corridor… in front of my chimera before it was destroyed…" The elder pharaoh wheezed as he stood up. "My son... is tortured… by that demonic brute, Zorc…"

Upon hearing what the elder pharaoh just said, rage boiled inside Yugi and the others. They were all mad at what Zorc did to their friend and they were also saddened at what Atem has been through…

Everyone was now very enraged at the demon. Even Kaiba, who only saw the young pharaoh as a rival and not much of a friend, gritted his teeth and clenched his fist in anger, and Yugi's parents, who have not even met Atem.

"THAT FREAK IS GOING DOWN…" Joey roared as he rushed inside the swirling darkness, followed by the others, summoning more monsters to aid them in fighting whatever was waiting for them inside…

As they entered the dark portal, they stood there, not knowing how to react to their surroundings.

The corridor was dark and shadowy. The sides were lined with gray pillars in the shape of a winged demon with glowing green eyes, dimly lighting the dark hall.

Yugi and crew started walking slowly, their footsteps echoing around the corridor. They were constantly looking in every direction, anticipating an attack…

"This place is scary, big brother…" Mokuba whispered as he clutched the hem of his brother's long white trench coat as they pushed on.

"Keep your eyes open, an attack might strike unexpectedly." Kaiba stated smugly as he and the rest of the group continued their walk, not experiencing a single attack ever since they landed.

They continued to push on until they reached the end of the corridor, mouths dropping open in shock as they finally found the person they have been looking for, hanging limply in his restraints, beaten and covered in glowing white.

"ATEM"

They all rushed towards the limp and shredded spirit, with the four closest friends of the pharaoh and the Ancient Egyptians in the lead.

Atem raised his head to face his rescuers, delighted to see them, but desperately tried to signal them to leave for Zorc was using him as bait. Unfortunately, Yugi and the others did not get the silent message and continued to run towards the immobilized king.

"Atem…. Wha'h… what did that demon do to you…" Aknamkanon gasped as he held his son's face while he removed the gag from Atem's mouth…

"FATHER, YUGI… EVERYONE… GET OUT OF HERE…" Atem yelled weakly as soon as the gag was removed. "IT'S A TRAP"

"**TOO LATE… YOU HAVE JUST ENTERED YOUR DOOM…"** Zorc boomed as he suddenly appeared in a burst of red flames that encircled Atem, Yugi and crew, trapping them. The demon stood behind the altar where Atem was shackled, growing bigger while its minions were scurrying from their now gigantic master towards Yugi and crew who grouped together as the gremlins spread out, surrounding the gang, like a pack of wolves cornering an elk.

"You have to get out of here now…" Atem said weakly as Yugi and the ancient Egyptians were removing his shackles while the others were shielding them and fighting against the demon and his minions with their monsters. "Just leave me… you are wasting your strength…"

"We are not leaving you…." Mana said loudly as she magically removed the shackle that was restraining Atem's right arm, while Priest Mahaad and Priest Seto were taking off the shackles binding his feet.

"We came a long way to save you. We won't let you suffer…" Yugi stated firmly as he successfully freed Atem's left arm, letting the limp spirit fall into his father's arms.

As Aknamkanon caught his weakened son, who fell unconscious from sheer exhaustion, a bunch of dark gremlins charged at them, but were destroyed by his Hieracosphinx and his Falcos

Aknamkanon mentally commanded the winged, eagle headed lion and the falcon like creature to immediately attack another bunch of gremlins that jumped at them from another direction. After that attack, more of the gremlins came charging at them from every direction, making the elder pharaoh back off.

"THERE'S TOO MANY OF THEM…" Mai yelled as she and the others, including Aknamkanon with Atem in his arms, grouped together, covering each other's backs as the gremlins surrounding them drew closer while the now fifty foot tall Zorc was charging an attack.

"**This is the end for all of you… there is no escape…"** Zorc sneered as he watched the gang continuously fighting the monsters **"Fighting back is useless, all your efforts will result to nothing…" **He boomed as he released a ball of red energy hurdling towards Yugi and crew.

The ball hit Yugi and crew, releasing a gust of black smoke. The demon laughed his demonic laugh while his minions surrounded the edges of the dark smoke, making eerie giggles, anticipating a feast on the blasted remains of Atem and his rescuers. As the smoke cleared the demon was shocked to find the gang nowhere in sight. The gremlins made disappointed screeches that echoed around the chamber as their anticipation was shattered. The demon looked around and saw two large ancient hats at the opposite sides of the chamber.

"**NOOOOOOOOOOO"** The demon roared amidst his minions' wailings and hissings as his trap failed, letting the gang escape with his captive….

Meanwhile, in a deep section of the corridor, a few meters from the portal, a hat was wobbling towards the light emitted by the pillars before disappearing in a puff of white smoke, revealing Yugi and crew.

Everyone was staring sadly at the unconscious and almost shredded royal in Aknamkanon's arms, glowing white liquid and gashes covering most of his blinking, dying firefly like form. The thought of Atem willingly sacrificing himself for the destruction of the Millennium Items and the freedom of the imprisoned souls made them admire the young pharaoh's bravery and compassion, but the thought of what he endured made them all feel awful, especially Aknamkanon who was crying silently as he pressed his forehead against his son's crowned temple covered in glowing liquid.

Tea and Mana were covering their mouths, desperately trying to silence their heartbroken moans. Priest Seto and Mahaad were gritting their teeth, trying hard to restrain the tears that formed in their eyes. Both put their differences aside, determined to avenge Atem whose gashes and shredded parts in glowing white almost made Tristan puke. He, Joey, and everyone else, even Kaiba and the other former enemies of the pharaoh, felt sorry for Atem, their determination to destroy the combined evil growing stronger.

Hearts filled with pity and grief as they imagined how the demon tortured Atem, cringing at the thought of it being endless if they weren't there to save him.

But none of them, not even Atem's father, felt as bad as Yugi. The tri-colored haired Atem look-a-like was standing in front of the silently weeping king, staring at the injured and unconscious spirit resting on the elder pharaoh's arms. He felt guilty, blaming everything his partner painfully endured on himself. The thought of him… sending his partner… his closest friend… to such a cruel fate in the hands of the enemy…. by defeating him in the Ceremonial Battle…. stabbed his heart and burned his insides.

_Atem…. I'm so sorry…. _

_If only I knew…._

_I could have prevented it from happening…._

_by not dueling you…._

Tears fell from Yugi's eyes as the pain of guilt stabbed him deep in the chest once more. He felt like his legs were giving away, but he stood strong. He wanted to scream, but he knew better than attracting the demon's attention.

"Excellent timing Mahaad, your magical hats spell saved us all." Aknamkanon stated as he lifted his head up, tears still lingering in his eyes as he gazed at the magician next to the silently weeping Yugi. "Let's get out of here…"

He and the others stealthily exited the demon's lair, summoning many flying monsters and rode on top of the beasts that quickly and quietly took off with their masters. Most of them looked back, shocked as they watched the entrance of Zorc's lair disappear in a swirl of dark smoke, returning the golden sand stones.

Unknown to them, the demon was sitting in his throne, chuckling as a portal opened at the center of the dark chamber, releasing the serpentine creator of the Orichalcos.

"_**You have let them escaped???" **_The Leviathan hissed spitefully as it coiled itself in front of the demon.

"**Do not worry, they will not get far… we will get them… or rather, they will come to us…"** Zorc whispered in his deep demonic voice as he opened his dark scaly palm in front of him, forming another dark spying orb in a swirl of shadowy smoke…

Meanwhile, up in the darkened, shadowy sky, the group was riding on their flying monsters. Aknamkanon was on top of his Sacred Phoenix once more. Atem was lying down on his father's lap, still unconscious. Unknown to his father… the mark on his cheek started emitting a small, green and black, freakish glow… blinking weakly as the gang flew away from the demon's lair, intent on finding a place to rest and let their injured friend recover from his horrible ordeal…


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

'_telepathic communication'_

* * *

**Reunited At Last**

"HE'S WAKING UP…."

"Not so loud Mana, you might startle him…"

"…sorry…"

Upon opening his eyes, the first thing Atem saw were blurred figures that were constantly looking down on him, like surgeons operating on a patient. They were talking to each other, asking what they needed to do.

He was still too weak. He felt pain all over. He was very exhausted to even say a word to assure the people around him that he was going to be fine, and how grateful he was for their efforts.

"…should we go get him something to eat??" he heard Yugi's voice gently whispering above him. "…or something to drink??"

"He's a spirit, so technically, he does not need to…" he heard his father's deep voice answering little Yugi's question. "But it would be nice for him to have something to refresh himself…. It might make him feel better…"

He felt someone's strong yet gentle hand stroking his marked cheek. The hand then withdrew from his face and was replaced with something cold resting on his lower lip, gently pouring ice cold water into his slightly open mouth.

"We have to find a way to remove that evil mark on his face……." He heard his father's deep voice state in a very anxious manner.

Atem then felt the same hand going behind him, gently propping him up, enabling him to see his surroundings and everyone in front of him. His vision began to stop blurring, making him see clearly as he felt his strength slowly returning.

He was in some sort of tent, a magical, oval shaped tent. He could tell that he was at the side of the magical tent's circular hall. In front of him he saw Yugi, Mana, Mahaad, and Priest Seto smiling at him. Behind Yugi, he spotted Joey and Tristan waving and grinning at him upon entering the tent. He looked up and saw his father gently smiling down at him while propping him up.

"Atem… how are you feeling??" Aknamkanon asked softly.

"Fine… Thank you for everything…" Atem replied weakly as he struggled to sit up when he felt someone's form pressing against him, crushing him in a tight embrace.

"ATEM… WHAT WERE YOU EVEN THINKING???" Mana shouted, tears sliding down her cheeks as she continued to hug her best friend. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO SACRIFICE YOURSELF FOR OTHERS… PLEASE DON'T ALLOW YOURSELF TO GET HURT…"

"MANA…." Mahaad whined as he reached out to pull Mana away from Atem, just like the old days… "You're---" He was cut off as Aknamkanon took hold of his wrist before he could touch the young mage, stopping the master magician from interrupting.

"They need some time alone…" Aknamkanon whispered as he stood up, followed by the others, and exited the tent, leaving the two childhood friends alone.

Mana continued sobbing on Atem's now healed chest while the young Egyptian royal was resting his chin on top of the mage's brown hair while wrapping his arms around her, stroking her back gently.

"Mana… I did not intend to make you all worry and suffer---" Atem was cut off when Mana suddenly pulled away from him and stared into his amethyst eyes.

"Atem, the only one who truly suffered so much is you…" Mana said softly as she placed a hand on his marked cheek. "…you worry too much about others…. to the point that…. you have taken yourself for granted…"

The young mage tightened her grip and took a deep breath, tears falling from her dark emerald eyes as she rested the side of her face on Atem's chest. "…please… don't think of yourself as unimportant…. worthless… and only as a sacrificial offering to save others…" She sobbed as she buried her face onto Atem's chest… "You are more than that… You are a wise, gifted, smart, funny, brave, kind, and good leader… you are a very valuable person… who is very much loved…"

She pulled herself slowly away from Atem, who was wearing a shocked yet regretful look on his face. He bowed his head low, avoiding Mana's gaze. "I did what I did… thinking that… it would all keep you safe…" He paused for a while, trying to find the right words. "I don't ever want anyone else… to suffer the curse of the Millennium Items…." He paused again, reaching out to gently touch Mana's face, wiping a tear away that escaped her eye. "Please… don't think that I'm trying to act like some sort of hero...… that is not my true intention… I did it… because I love you… all of you… and… I don't want anything bad to befall you… I'm willing to do anything, no matter how painful, to protect the ones I care for… and prevent them from getting hurt…"

"Do you have any idea…." Mana sobbed as she bowed low. "…how painful it was to wait for you for so long… only to find out that…. you offered yourself to the darkness…. instead of joining us in the afterlife???..." she covered her face with her hands as her statements turned into heartbroken moans. "That… you… gave yourself up… and… allowed those demons…. to continuously… destroy you???..." She stopped for a while and looked into Atem's alert features. "Sure… your destruction is not permanent… since… you are too powerful…but... the demons… used that to your disadvantage…. As their prisoner…. they slowly and painfully destroyed you, wait for you to be restored, torture you until you get destroyed again, and then wait for you to be restored---- it's an endless cycle!!!" She started clutching the sides of her head while she closed her eyes, allowing more tears to escape. "When Hasan told us…. We did not know what to do, we were all devastated… your father would not even talk while your mother was crying on his shoulder. Master Mahaad felt as if he failed you… Priest Seto got mad at himself for allowing you to seal yourself in the puzzle…. Isis and the others felt as if they were useless…. I… was… I… was…" she burst into tears, unable to finish her last sentence.

"Oh Mana…." Atem sighed as he neared the weeping mage and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm here now, thanks to all of you"

"You…. you… promised me… that…. you will…. you will join us in the afterlife… that we would be together…..once you accomplish your mission…"Mana moaned as she desperately tried to keep her voice low upon hearing the murmurs of their curious allies outside the tent entrance… "…but… you decided to break that promise and… and…. spend the eternity… being… tortured…."

"I'm sorry I made you all worry…. Please forgive me…. I'm sorry I have hurt you…" Atem whispered in his sad deep baritone voice as he tightened his embrace, tears slowly trickling down his now closed eyes.

"I love you Mana…. Please forgive me… for chucking away our promise like that…. Please know that I never intended to make you all feel bad…"

"I know you didn't…" Mana replied softly as she calmed down and stared at the side of Atem's face, her smile fading a bit as she noted the combined symbols of darkness still branded onto his cheek. "You have a good heart…. You do what's best for others… I'm just telling you… not to take yourself for granted… there are many people out there who deeply care about you…. And we all don't want you to get hurt just as much as you don't want us getting hurt…."

Atem opened his eyes. He gently pulled himself away from Mana, locking his gorgeous amethyst eyes into her beautiful deep emerald eyes. "When I got back my lost memories… I deeply regretted sacrificing myself… because… I realized that it was useless and I remembered the promise I made to you…. but… it was too late… Only my memories kept me strong as I endured every painful moment that demon forced upon me… I almost gave up hope…. until… you all came… and rescued me from my fate…." He then held Mana's face in one hand where the gashes from his shackles were still visible, though healed. "I remembered the day we first met… all the fun times we had… and… how much… I love you…."

The two continued to look straight into the other's eyes, bringing their faces closer to the other, until their lips met…. They closed their eyes, relishing every precious moment as they kissed, happy that they were finally able to experience what they thought would never happen between them…

Slowly, they pulled themselves away from each other, opening their eyes as they gazed into the other's beautiful and handsome features, captivated by the rare moment before a sudden rush of murmurs were heard near the tent entrance, making 'keep-quiet-or-they'll-hear-us' noises.

Atem and Mana shared mischievous smiles, both thinking of the same thing, as they stealthily headed for the tent entrance and yanked the blinds out of the way, making the eavesdroppers fall back.

"I tried to stop them…" Aknamkanon claimed innocently as he watched Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Tea, Duke, and Rebecca struggling to stand up. The elder pharaoh then looked up to face his son, happy to see the cheerful and bright face he knew and loved.

"Sure you did…" Atem replied playfully, wearing a face of mock belief while he rolled his eyes… before looking around to see many familiar faces smirking, smiling, waving and grinning at him.

The shadows lessened, letting the sun's rays shine through. The wind was blowing gently into his face, making him enjoy the refreshing feeling that he missed for some time. The pond a few meters from the tent regained a bit of its sparkling blue tinge while the surrounding plants regained a few of its lush leaves.

"Where are we???" Atem asked gently as he approached his father. "This place seems familiar…"

"This…. is the Center Oasis, my son…" Aknamkanon stated loudly yet gently as he gently ruffled his son's spiked head. "It may have changed but I'm sure you remember what happened to you here" He added as his expression became saddened.

"Yeah… now I do…" Atem replied sadly while looking down as the nightmare experience flashed in his mind…

"Your dad told us what happened to you here…" Yugi stated sadly as he approached Atem and placed a hand on his tanned shoulder.

"But… as we have heard…. You are strong…." James added as he stood next to Yugi while Selena was behind her husband. "I just hope the awful memories will not bother you…"

Atem stared at Yugi's parents, unsure of how to react as he never met Yugi's father, but bowed his head low to show how grateful he was at his kind words. "Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness, Mr.---"

"Oh… right…" Yugi interrupted while he rubbed the back of his head in an apologetic manner. "You have not been formally introduced to my parents…. Especially my dad…."

"Atem, this is my dad, James, the one I told you about who was on a business trip…" Yugi stated as he stretched his arm out to his father before shifting his arm towards his mother. "….and I'm sure you've known about my mother… Selena… though you never got to know each other formally…"

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Mutou…" Atem stated politely as he gently shook hands with Yugi's father and mother. "Thank you so much for all your efforts…."

"That is very gentlemanly of you… Your father has told us so many things about you, about your exceptionally good manners, bravery, kindness, thoughtfulness, wisdom…. And that you are very diligent in your studies…" Selena stated before turning towards Yugi. "Now about the diligence part… if only you could be like that in your studies Yugi…."

"Mom…" Yugi whined as Atem, Pharaoh Aknamkanon, James, and even Shadi, who was standing behind Aknamkanon, laughed at the funny comment…

"This is the only place we found perfect to regain our strength…. I… we did not mean to bring back those awful moments…" Priest Seto stated as he and Mahaad emerged from behind the tent.

"It's ok… that was the past…" Atem assured as he turned back to face the approaching ancients. "…and what were you doing behind the tent anyway…"

The master magician and the high priest shared inconspicuous looks. Mahaad then nudged Priest Seto, who gave him a sharp glare before looking at the young pharaoh and answering.

"…we.. were just… um…"

The two then sent silent messages towards each other, asking the other for help.

'_Mahaad, eavesdropping on them was your suggestion….'_ Priest Seto growled while staring at the master magician

'_oh please… as if you did not want to know what they were doing….' _Mahaad replied while he gritted his teeth

"You were spying on us, weren't you…" Atem stated flatly while he raised an eyebrow and folded his arms, amused as he watched the two mentally arguing ministers staring daggers at each other and constantly giving the other a nudge…

"Those two would never change…" Mana sighed as she approached Atem who temporarily looked away from the two ministers and smiled at his approaching childhood friend who gave his beaming father a grin before she wrapped her arms around Atem's shoulders and resting her head on them.

"Oh… those two were just curious… we all were" Aknamkanon stated "They just wanted to find out who will make the first move…. Without having to crowd around the others who were also doing the same thing…" He stared at Yugi and the other eavesdroppers who just looked away.

"Alright, we apologize for interfering with your privacy…" Mahaad stated as he bowed low.

"We did not mean to offend you…" Priest Seto added as he also got down on his knee.

"I knew it…. and… it's ok…" Atem answered as he unfolded his arms. "Seriously guys, you don't have to do that….We're all friends here anyway…. All you needed to do was ask…"

They all smiled at each other before the two ministers got back up on their feet. Atem looked around to see all the people he met and befriended.

He saw the Kaiba brothers sitting at the edge of the pond with Rebecca. Upon noticing Atem's gaze, Mokuba and Rebecca were waving at him while Kaiba just gave him a playful smirk before looking away. Ryou, Raphael, Valon, and Alister were gathering some wood while Marik was gathering some small berries in the bushes around them. Ishizu was washing her face in the pond nearby while Odion was carrying a basket, catching the berries/fruits Marik was throwing at him. They were all laughing at each other as they told some jokes before looking up and grinning to see Atem giving them a warm smile.

_To think…. _Atem thought as he looked around. _Most of these people used to be my enemies… or people I never expected to befriend….._

He saw Dartz patting Sky while he and his family talked to Pegasus, Grandpa Mutou, and Arthur Hawkins, sharing their personal stories.

_Now… they're my friends…. Who risked themselves to save me…._

"HEY ATEM"

Atem spun around, his handsome yet scarred face shining with joy to see Joey, Tristan, Tea, Serenity, Mai and Duke waving at him, inviting him to join in their fun.

"C'MON, ATEM…YOU GUYS…. LET'S HAVE A LITTLE FUN…" Tea yelled, addressing Atem, Mana, Yugi and anyone else who might be willing to join in.

Atem looked up to his father, who smiled and nodded at him, allowing him to have a good time with his friends, making up for the time lost. He and Mana shared mischievous grins, making Yugi wonder what they meant, before running after Joey, Tristan, Tea, Mai, Serenity, Duke and the others who decided to join in the fun…


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

­­­­­ **Gather Round the Campfire**

"Man…." Joey panted. "That was fun"

He, Yugi, and the others were resting from their game of tag with a twist, catching their breaths as the sun sank into the west. Everyone had a good time, making most for the lost opportunities. Most of them laughing and actually playing while the rest just enjoyed the view, constantly snickering at the ones playing.

"Guess… Ra… is calling it a day…." Mana panted as she sat up and stared at her wet royal childhood friend lying next to her, a smile plastered on his face as he rested from their extreme game. He never imagined them to have missed him this badly.

Atem remembered Yugi pushing him into the pond while he was chasing Mana who took his purple cape. He remembered pinning Yugi to the ground and tickling him mercilessly before Mana jumped on top of him. Other than Pharaoh Aknamkanon, Queen Seliotem, Shimon, and the rest of the ministers, she and Yugi were two of the very few who knew where Atem was ticklish. They used this to their advantage, tickling the young pharaoh, making him laugh and squirm under their fingers.

He remembered Joey chasing Duke and Tristan, yelling at them to stay away from his sister before Kaiba conveniently forgot to move his leg out of the way, tripping the blonde. Joey charged at the CEO. This time, nobody restrained the blonde, so Kaiba ended up running away from him, yelling threats to the steaming blonde who was also throwing some threats at him while the others laughed and cheered when Joey managed to tackle Kaiba to the ground before the CEO pushed him off. Kaiba then stood up and walked away, muttering something under his breath while Joey just glared at him before rushing off towards Mai.

The young pharaoh then remembered seeing Mahaad placing a bewitched stuffed rat into Priest Seto's headdress, as the high priest removed it for a while claiming that he wanted to feel the wind in his hair, before quickly walking away. Atem knew that those two ministers had a habit of playing pranks on each other. Upon placing back his headdress, Atem and Mana had to cover their mouths, shaking with controlled laughter as they watched Atem's cousin letting out a panicked yell before throwing the headdress back down and started stalking off, looking for the magician while yelling threats.

"Yeah…. That was sure fun…." He stated as he stood up. He held out his hand to Mana, who gratefully took hold while the young pharaoh gently pulled her to her feet.

"You should dry yourself off…" Mana giggled as she felt Atem's wet hand releasing her palm.

Atem smiled at her before focusing on the Umiiruka spell. With a wave of his hand, he managed to 'pull' the water soaking his body, immediately drying him off while he sent the water he 'pulled' back into the pond. "Now… let's go…"

He and Mana walked towards their waving companions who were signaling them that it's time for dinner. The sky was dark now, unfortunately, there were still no stars. Before reaching the others, he and Mana looked back and saw Yugi, Tea, Joey, Tristan, Duke, Serenity, Mokuba, Rebecca and Mai following them. They stopped for a while and resumed walking when Yugi and the others caught up to them and started talking before they finally arrived at the magical campsite.

They saw the rest of their companions sitting in a big circle around a campfire, motioning for them to sit down. Atem sat next to his father, who ruffled his hair. Mana sat next to the young pharaoh while Yugi sat next to the young mage.

As they all settled down, Atem stood up, catching everyone's attention…

The young pharaoh bowed his head low, deep in gratitude. "Thank you so much for all your efforts…. I know it was never an easy task to come to my aid…. I do not know what I have done to deserve your efforts…"

As Atem sat down, everyone started protesting, telling him that he has done so many great things. That he does not deserve to suffer eternal pain and he deserved every effort they gave to save him, even Kaiba started praising him in his drifty way, saying that he did not want to lose a worthy opponent.

"As you can see Atem…" Aknamkanon stated, gently patting his son's back while beaming at him. "You have done so many great things that have helped people…. For that… I am proud of you" He added as he hugged Atem, making the young pharaoh fluster while the others cooed at the sweet father and son moment.

"…..wow…. you and your dad sure are nice pharaohs…." Joey stated as he leaned back, watching Atem's father releasing his son from their hug.

"From the looks of things, I'd say you feel a lot better…"Dartz stated while he gave the young pharaoh a smirk. "The tent was only a second option to let you rest in. Though you are rather small, you would probably no longer fit comfortably inside a vase…"

Bursts of laughter erupted from everyone around the campfire, even Kaiba ended up releasing some laughs while Atem was staring at them, a mixture of shocked, embarrassed, and confused look gracing his handsome yet scarred features.

"How??.... wha'h…." Atem stammered. His face turned a deep shade of red as a sudden realization dawned upon him. He turned his now rosy red face to look at the older pharaoh, who was chuckling, next to him. "…father….. please tell me you didn't…."

"They wanted to know more about you, son…" Aknamkanon answered while pride and joy glistened in his eyes as he faced his only child. "I think they deserve to know… after what they went through to save you…."

"I know…." Atem replied while looking away and folding his arms. "…..but do you have to tell them about the vase???? I was only a little boy back then…."

"Exactly my point…." Aknamkanon added while he ruffled his son's hair. "Though… you have to admit…. It was one funny and cute habit of yours…"

"Awwww…" Tea chirped in between giggles… "I wish I could have seen it myself… You must've been real cute…."

"Actually… he was and still is cute…" Mana chirped, making Atem bury his already reddening face in his hands while the others cooed at the comment. "…especially whenever he gets mad at Seto teasing him for being adorably irresistible to a lot of noblewomen and foreign ladies that occasionally came to the palace…." She paused for a while as their companions were laughing as they pictured it out. "After all…. Atem hates being called cute…"

The young mage's last statement sent another burst of laughter from everyone while Atem just hid his burning red face. Priest Seto and Mahaad were doing their best to maintain straight faces as they recalled what happened at that time.

"Don't… take it…. personally, Atem…" Yugi stammered in between laughs… "We're not going to use it against you…. "

"Really…." Atem stated with mock frustration as he eyed Yugi before staring at everyone around the campfire. "Ok…. What else did 'they" He stared at his father and his fellow Ancient Egyptians, who were giving him playful smirks "…tell you about me…."

"…. Well…. Plums are your favorite fruit…. Foxes, lions, and horses are your favorite animals…. You 'love' hiding inside vases and pulling pranks on people…And…. That's about every bit of new info we learned about you…." Joey stated while tapping his fingers, counting everything he just said while a smirk formed in his lips… "…and of course…. You hate being called cute…." He added as he attempted to do a puppy dog pout that made everyone laugh.

"That's a good look for you, Wheeler…" Kaiba sneered as he managed to stop laughing but maintained a smirk on his face… "It brings out your true helpless, defeated, and annoying puppy self…"

"KAIBA" Joey roared as he charged at the CEO sitting across him before he was grabbed and talked out of it by Tristan, who, together with everyone else, was laughing from the comment.

"…. it's pretty much hard to imagine…" Marik stated as he watched the Ancient Egyptians. "… that the Great Pharaoh Atem… used to hide… in vases and… play pranks on people…." He finished in between his laughs as giggles and murmurs of agreement came from the others.

"Well…..I could have wished to have seen it myself as well…." Pegasus stated while he folded his arms… "It must have been a really funny and ultra rare sight…"

"You have no idea…." Priest Mahaad commented as he watched the young pharaoh getting redder and redder… "…how hard it was to stop ourselves from laughing at his everyday antics…"

"Ok….." Atem sighed in a questioning tone as he stared at everyone who was doing their best to maintain straight faces as silence fell upon them… "Guess after everything you've 'learned' you probably think I'm a bubbly, wobbly, little midget who just became the person you know because he lost his memories…." Atem mockingly concluded as he watched his companions snort with laughter before he raised his eyebrows, folded his arms, and sat up straight as he cleared his throat, "If that's what you're thinking…. Then you're WRONG…..You better not JUDGE me because of what you were told……" He added jokingly yet sincerely as he watched his companions laugh….

"Don't worry, Atem…." Yugi assured as he gave Atem an innocent, sincere look. "We won't treat you differently….. You're still the same person we know" He added as murmurs of agreement came from everyone else before the eldest spirit stood up, catching everyone's attention…

"Dinner's ready…." Ironheart announced as he and the other spirits conjured some food filled plates out of thin air, making the plates levitate towards each one of the relieved and amazed people…

"Man…. Being a magical spirit sure has its perks…." Joey stated as he caught his share.

"Yeah…. It pays to have magical abilities…." Atem stated playfully as he unfolded his arms and took his share. "…. and about the vase part….I was just a kid when I was hiding in palace vases…" Atem added while looking at Marik and the others. "As for the pranks…." He stared at Priest Seto and the other Ancient Egyptians. "I was just having a little fun…" He smiled at them all before folding his arms once more and closed his eyes… "…so go ahead and sue me… if you can"

He and the others started eating and drinking while interacting with each other. Mana was making some empty plates fly around Yugi and the others while Atem magically filled them with food right in front of their living comrades' amazed eyes. Dartz and Chris were turning some chicken bones into fresh, uneaten, cooked chicken.

After five hours everyone has eaten their fill. They all decided that it was time to call it a night. The spirits went inside the tent and magically multiplied the rooms once more, letting everyone have their privacy as they rested, getting their strengths up.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Hello everyone… I'd like to inform you that this will probably be one of the rare, longest chapter in this story…. So…. Be prepared for some intense reading… if you dare… The title explains why this will be the longest…. Some might find this chap boring…. But it is necessary for the entire plot….**

* * *

**The Legendary Power of the Great Pharaoh Atem**

The sun shined through the clouds as night gave way to day. Surprisingly, the shadows have disappeared. The crystal clear pond was reflecting the rays of the early sun while the surrounding trees and plants were swaying in the early breeze. Fresh scent of morning dew filled the air while the base of the fighters was starting to stir as the early birds, mostly the spirits, got out of the tent and stretched.

"Glad that you woke up early, son" Aknamkanon stated cheerfully as he saw Atem a few meters away, relishing the cool breeze. "Well… I should be expecting that… you've always been an early riser…"

"How was your sleep, My Pharaohs?" Mahaad inquired thoughtfully as got out of the tent, closely followed by Priest Seto and Mana.

Aknamkanon smiled at Mahaad before being interrupted by Shadi.

"Wonderful morning you guys and thanks for asking…. My sleep was nice and peaceful." Atem answered before he nearly lost his balance when Mana jumped on him. "…. Good morning to you too, Mana…."

"Mana…" Mahaad whined as he reached out to grab the mage off of the young pharaoh before spotting Aknamkanon motioning for his son, his nephew, the master magician, and the young mage to follow them.

Mana immediately jumped off Atem as they followed Shadi and the older pharaoh, levitating towards the other side of the pond.

The other side of the pond was the end of the oasis. There were a few shrubs and date palms surrounding the pond while behind the lush sight were piles of sand dunes and rocks that spread as far as the eye can see.

"Atem…." Aknamkanon stated as soon as the others have reached them on the other side of the pond. "Since you have gotten your lost memories back, then I'm sure that you remember how to unleash the full potential of your legendary power…."

Atem nodded at his father, a serious expression gracing his handsome but scarred features.

"Good" Aknamkanon answered while nodding back. "Now…" He turned towards the pond. "It's time for you to practice… You have not used that kind of power for a long time."

Atem nodded again, in full understanding, before they heard a call from the other side of the pond.

"YOU GUYS"

Atem and the others spun around to see Joey, Yugi, and the rest of their companions calling to them from the other side of the pond…

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, WAY OVER THERE???"

"Oh… if you come and watch…. you're about to find out soon enough…." Aknamkanon stated loudly enough for everyone to hear. He then turned himself towards Atem, who stood ready while the other ancient Egyptians backed away, familiar with what's going to happen.

"Now, my son…" Aknamkanon stated as he also backed away. "Summon your first Ka…."

"….first Ka???" Marik asked while he and the others reached Priest Seto, Mana, and Priest Mahaad as they finally got around the pond. "Does that mean that Pharaoh Atem has more than one Ka??… I thought one person can only have one Ka…."

"My cousin is an exemption…. He is the chosen pharaoh after all" Priest Seto answered as he turned to look at Marik. "I think you are all aware of his great power…" He looked away from Marik and faced the others who listened intently. "….this is because he has three Ka's…." He looked towards his cousin, who was now emitting a cerulean blue aura. "… And I assume you all know who those three Ka monsters are…"

Everyone stared at the now glowing young pharaoh in awe. Atem was closing his eyes while his arms were crossed over his chest. He was engulfed in a fiery blue aura that was emitting from him.

He suddenly opened his eyes, which had blue fire raging at the center of his amethyst pupils. All of the sudden, blue lights shot out of him and immediately took the form of a winged beast that towered above him.

"OBELISK THE TORMENTOR" Kaiba gasped as he watched the Egyptian God monster appear above Atem. The blue aura immediately ceased as the divine monster hovered in front of onlookers.

Aknamkanon smiled at his son before getting serious once more. "Alright… you have successfully summoned your first Ka monster without difficulty… Now… I want you to use the Auraka…"

Everyone, other than the Ancient Egyptians, stared at Atem's father.

"Aura--- what???" Joey asked as he stared at Priest Mahaad, who just smiled at him.

"I've never heard of such kind of magic…." Marik stated as he stared at his family who also shook their heads, not knowing what kind it is either.

"We have never heard of it as well…" Dartz stated as he stared straight at the Ancient Egyptians who just smirked at them.

"Then you will be blessed with the opportunity…." Aknamkanon stated as he shifted his gaze from Dartz, to everyone else who had dumbstruck looks on their faces. "To witness it…"

Aknamkanon then returned his gaze on Atem, who nodded back at him, understanding what his gaze meant.

The young pharaoh closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest once more. Upon doing so, blue aura immediately surrounded him again. Everyone else took notice of the Obelisk also emitting the same blue aura. Suddenly, the Obelisk was completely engulfed by the blue aura that formed into a blue shimmering orb that rushed straight at Atem…

"ATEM" Yugi cried, fearing that the orb was going to hurt his close friend. He tried to run towards him, but was stopped by Mana.

"Don't worry, Yugi…" Mana assured as he gripped him by the shoulders. "Atem's going to be just fine…"

The blue orb hit Atem, engulfing everyone in a blue light, making them all shield their eyes. As the lights faded, everyone, except for the Ancient Egyptians, stared in awe at the young pharaoh, amazed at his incredible power…

Atem was standing in front of them. His form was emitting an aquamarine aura, outlined in the shape of Obelisk. The aura of the Obelisk's head was two meters above Atem's head while the divine monster's muscular forelimbs were parallel to Atem's slender arms. Obelisk's feet were only half a foot below Atem's feet, making it look as if Atem was levitating a bit while the gigantic wings were positioned onto Atem's back

Other than the Ancient Egyptians, everyone's mouths fell open, shocked at what they were seeing.

"Wow…. So this is Atem's power…." Yugi stated in awe as he continued to stare at his close friend. "It's incredible…." He added as he watched the young pharaoh inside the Obelisk shaped aura moving his arms, the blue auraka simultaneously mimicking his movements.

"This is the power of the Auraka or one's Ka form." Priest Seto stated loudly, pleased that everyone was paying attention to him. "Auraka is the magic wherein a magician's Ba fuses with his Ka, making him transform into his Ka form" He paused for a while as he watched Atem began charging power. "… But in Atem's case, it enables his aura to take the form of his Ka. Instead of him completely fusing with his Ka, his Auraka will be surrounding him and enabling him to control it like armor…"

"Atem's a magician???" Joey asked, making the others whine in frustration upon hearing his irrational question… "What??? I was just clarifying…"

"Why don't you just explain to him…" Kaiba stated smugly… "This time…. say it slowly so that the mutt can catch on…"

The others muffled their laughter while Joey just clenched his fist as he turned back and stared daggers at the CEO, muttering something under his breath.

Priest Seto rubbed his temple before answering. "Anyone who can do real magic is called a magician…. So…. Since Atem can do real magic, he is therefore a magician…." He paused and looked around at the others… "Are there anymore clueless allies wanting to ask a foolish question???"

Joey just huffed as he looked away and clenched his fist. "Well…. At least you're not as despicable as Kaiba…" he sneered, irritating the CEO behind him, before he resumed watching Atem. "Man…. Atem sure is one powerful pharaoh…."

The young pharaoh was constantly moving, amazed that his blue auraka was able to follow every movement, from flexing the fingers, to just by thinking about flapping the aura wings on his back.

"Amazing…." Aknamkanon exclaimed, eyes glistening with pride and joy as he stared at his son. "You still remember how to use your power, despite the fact that you have not used it for over three millennia…"

Atem, clearly visible inside the blue auraka engulfing him, smiled at his father.

"Now…" Aknamkanon stated loudly "It's time to use the power of the Obelisk…." He paused for a while, looking at everyone around them. "We will first start with his signature move, Fist of Fury… Atem… are you ready??…"

Atem nodded as he resumed his pose, ready for a serious power charge.

"Good…" Aknamkanon stated as he began to tell Atem how to do it. "You have to focus your energy on your fists…once you have done that, you immediately release it… you will instinctively know how to release it once the energy builds up"

Atem then clenched his fists tightly while closing his eyes, focusing his energy. His blue auraka mimicking his move, as he felt a tingling sensation flowing through him, gathering in his fists… After some time, Atem opened his eyes, turned to his left, towards the endless sand dunes, and released the energy by firing a mega punch, sending a powerful shockwave that made one sand dune explode as it got hit.

Everyone shielded themselves as a gust of sand blew everywhere from the impact, shocked and awed at the incredible power coming from Atem. Thinking that this was only a fraction of his true power made them all stunned and amazed…

"WOW…" Joey cried as the sand stopped flying around, allowing them to stop shielding their faces and took a good look around them. "THAT WAS AWESOME…"

"So…" Dartz stated as he watched the young pharaoh in awe. "…this is Pharaoh Atem's true power…. Amazing…"

Atem was still standing at the exact same spot, shocked at his own power while he stared at his still aura surrounded form.

"Well…. You're one fast learner… as always" Aknamkanon praised while he gazed at his son proudly. "Once you have mastered the Auraka, you can do it almost instantaneously. You can even change its size…. and so much more… You will learn all those on your own… I'm just going to refresh the basics….Before we go to the second Ka…. Let's refresh your fighting skills… without your Auraka of course…" he added as he poised in his stance, gesturing Atem to get ready. "Just plain Egyptian martial arts"

Atem smiled at his father before he made his blue auraka disappear in a wisp of blue smoke. He then removed his cape and poised, making Mana giggle as she watched him stand ready to fight while the others watched from a distance, ready to cheer them on.

"Whoa…." Joey exclaimed, not believing what he was seeing. "They're gonna fight each other??? Martial arts style???" He stared at his fellow companions who were also in disbelief… "This I gotta see…"

"This time however…" Aknamkanon stated with a playful smirk. "You will be fighting me, Priest Seto, and Priest Mahaad…. At the same time…."

Everyone, other than the ancient Egyptians, was shocked upon hearing Aknamkanon's words. They never expected the training to be very bias and obviously very harsh… Aknamkanon obviously cared about Atem so much… so why would he allow this harsh kind of training, let alone implement the training himself together with Atem's cousin and friend.

"THAT WOULD NOT BE FAIR…." Tristan stated loudly as he watched the high priest and the master magician take off their capes as they strode to their positions. Priest Seto, a few meters away, on Atem's right while Priest Mahaad, also a few meters away, on Atem's left.

"It's alright, everyone…" Atem assured as he looked back to his friends. "I've been trained like this many times before… and it never ended badly…" He added as he turned to face his father right in front of him.

"He is royalty after all…" Mahaad added as he cocked his head a bit to address the others. "He needs to learn how to fight back in anyway possible…" He continued as he resumed focusing his eyes on Atem.

"Ready or not, son…." Aknamkanon stated as he suddenly charged, stunning everyone with his ninja like speed. "…here we come…"

Atem stood his ground despite his friends' protests to get out of the way. Suddenly his father was directly in front of him ready to strike when Atem swiftly blocked his attack, and countered with a speedy kick, shocking everyone to see the rapid fast movement.

"Remind me never to get on their nerves…." Valon commented, soon followed by murmurs of agreement from the other observers as they watched the training go on, getting more amazed at seeing the incredible moves pulled by the fighters.

Atem was constantly evading the attacks with feline like grace. He was fighting back with unbelievably fast punches, kicks and at the same time, accurately blocking every attack coming from every direction, before his father motioned for them all to stop, signaling the end of the training.

"You never cease to make me proud, son… Your fighting skills are still amazing" Aknamkanon stated happily as he ruffled his panting son's hair… "…Let's stop here for a while…." He added as he looked at the others who were now approaching them. "We will start with the second Ka after you get some rest…"

"ATEM"

The young pharaoh turned around, delighted to see Yugi and his closest friends rushing towards him, with Mana in the lead. This time the young pharaoh did not even flinch as the young mage jumped on him. He had anticipated Mana's signature 'I'm-proud-of-you' hug while the others crowded around him, giving him noogies and 'congrats' pats.

"Atem… I am very much proud of what you have become…" Aknamkanon whispered as he watched his happy son, thanking his friends who kept on congratulating him… "Serious yet playful, Wise yet enthusiastic, polite yet assertive, cunning and crafty yet thoughtful and kind, confident yet observant, independent yet obedient…..Your qualities are still the same as I have remembered but have increased as your friends give you encouragement…. Giving you more strength…"

"Atem, you were awesome…" Yugi exclaimed excitedly as he, Atem, and the others sat at the edge of the pond. "Your dad was really fast, and all those awesome moves he pulled…. You should have seen the look on my dad's face when he saw the way your dad moved….. He was like" He made a funny face that made Atem, who sat next to him, and the others laugh. "….. but you were also moving so fast… like this…" He made a swishing movement, trying to imitate the way Atem blocked the attacks. "…and like that…" He made another swishing movement that made Atem lean back to avoid being hit. "…. Trust me Atem, even Raphael, Valon, and Alister were staring at you with their mouths hanging open…."

"Yeah… but we did not have our mouths open that long…" Raphael called as he leaned forward from an in denial Valon's right and turned his head to his left to address the Pharaoh. "I have to admit…. Those were some awesome moves you pulled…"

"I trust that you all enjoyed the show we put on…" Atem stated with a mock inquiring tone while smiling as he watched his friends talking excitedly about what they have seen…

"You kidding???" Joey asked mockingly as he stood up from Yugi's left and strode over to Atem and gave the young pharaoh a noogie. "You were awesome….Man… you have got to teach me all those freakin' fightin' moves…."

Atem just laughed as he struggled against Joey's constant rubbing on his spiked head. "If we have time….. only the martial arts of course…." He joked as Joey stopped noogying him.

After around thirty minutes of talking, sharing, praising, and joking, Atem's father approached his son and tapped him on the shoulder, getting his attention and signaling the time for the second part of the training. The young pharaoh obediently stood up and followed his father while the others turned around to watch from a distance, getting excited.

"You ready for the second phase, my son???" Aknamkanon inquired as he watched his son resume his place at the center, some fair distance away from everyone.

Atem nodded as he focused on his second Ka monster. As soon as he closed his eyes, he immediately emitted a red aura that shot a red light, revealing Slifer, the Sky Dragon roaring at the early morning sun.

"Is it just me…" Ryou stated as he looked at everyone else. "…or was that faster than when he summoned Obelisk…"

"Amazing… in such a short time, you have learned to speed up your summoning process." Aknamkanon exclaimed while pride and joy glistened in his eyes as he gazed at his son just opening his eyes to stare at the red dragon coiling around him in a protective manner. "Now… let's see if you can use your Auraka with the same speed."

Atem looked at his father and nodded. He then closed his eyes, immediately emitting a red aura while the red dragon also emitted the same red aura before turning into a glowing red orb that hovered above Atem and shot at the young pharaoh, emitting a blinding red light that made everyone shield their eyes once more.

As the light faded shortly after, Atem was standing there, his aura in a bright red, serpentine outline of the red dragon. The aura of Slifer's head was three meters above Atem's head. Its claws were parallel to Atem's arms while its serpentine torso was under Atem's feet, and the rest of it was extending behind the young pharaoh's heel into the long serpentine form of Slifer the Sky Dragon.

"This feels weird…." Atem stated unsurely as he felt the different kind of energy surging through him.

"Because it is…" Aknamkanon stated as he watched his son practicing the movements of the claws. "Unlike the Obelisk auraka, Slifer will be a lot more complicated…. focus your energy on what you want it to do and to release it…" He took a deep breath before continuing. "In the case of a thunderbolt attack from his first mouth, you have to focus on releasing the energy… through your right hand… and the blast from his second mouth… on your left hand… The opening and closing of your hands will control the opening and closing of the respective mouths"

Atem nodded and decided to give it a try. He focused on what he willed to do, focusing his energy on his right fist. Slowly he opened his fist, while the red auraka opened its first mouth simultaneously and began charging power…

"You are doing well, my son…" Aknamkanon stated loudly as he and the others watched the amazing feat.

Atem then released a powerful blast of lightning, smashing a gigantic boulder into dust.

"WOW…."

"You did well, my son…" Aknamkanon stated proudly. "You can control the path of the attacks by moving your arms…..it's your choice… after all… it's all in the focus of your will…As for the second mouth… it's basically the same thing, only with the left hand… so we can skip it…. Let's head for the control of the tail… though you can just make your auraka do anything you want, making it fire long range attacks, fly, slam enemies, etc… just by focusing on your will and without having to make the necessary movements, you need to learn how to control it through your actions so that you can focus on one thing while doing another…. I think you know what I mean right???"

The young pharaoh smiled at his father as he listened to every word, understanding what his father meant.

"You can make the tail swing to the right by kicking your right leg…. And to the left by kicking your left leg…. Even though you can simply just think on swinging the tail to any direction you desire without having to kick, you need to be able to multitask… so… practice the movements…." Aknamkanon stated as he backed away.

The young pharaoh did as his father tasked and successfully made the tail swing in almost every direction swiftly and accurately with every style of kick he knows…

"Excellent work…" Aknamkanon exclaimed while the others, including Kaiba, were very much impressed at what the young pharaoh can do. "Now…. Let's start with the final Ka…. But this time…. use the auraka immediately without having to summon your third Ka, The Winged Dragon of Ra…"

Atem nodded and started to focus on his third Auraka. He did not even need closing his eyes nor to cross his arms over his chest to emit a golden aura that surrounded him, immediately outlined in the shape of the Winged Dragon of Ra. The golden dragon's aura head was one meter above Atem's head. The claws were parallel to Atem's arms. Its clawed feet were beneath Atem's feet and two meters off the ground while the wings were folded on his back.

"Good…" Aknamkanon exclaimed. "The Winged Dragon of Ra is your agility and evasiveness… Its signature move is the burning phoenix and of course its powerful sacred blast….. Focus on what you will it to do, my son…. Make it fire a sacred blast by unleashing the energy from your right hand, just like Slifer's thunderbolt…"

Atem did as his father asked. He did not even need to close his eyes to feel the power rushing through him. He then stretched his hand and opened his palm. Simultaneously his golden auraka surrounding him charged its arched back and sent the charge into its now opened mouth. The young pharaoh then released the attack, making a gigantic explosion seen in the distance…

"Alright…" Aknamkanon stated loudly "Now… it's time for the burning phoenix…. Focus your will on what you want it to do…. Once the feat is accomplished, you will instinctively know how to wield the power…."

The young pharaoh nodded at his father. He then focused his will. All of the sudden, his Auraka burst into golden flames, engulfing the young pharaoh as the golden flames shielded him from everyone's view….

"Is that supposed to happen??" Yugi asked worriedly as he stared at the ancient Egyptians who nodded at him.

A fiery, golden phoenix stood in Atem's place. Its amethyst eyes were emitting a violet glow while flapping its golden wings as it took off into the sky.

"WHERE'S ATEM???" Joey asked as he looked around for any sign of his ancient friend.

"He's up there…" Mana answered as she pointed to the golden phoenix flying in the sky…"He has turned into the golden auraka's phoenix form…"

Atem was shocked to find that he was flying high up and at a very fast speed. He then turned around, tucking in his wings as he took a dive and pulling up accurately.

"WOW…." Yugi exclaimed as he and the others watched their friend flying around in his burning phoenix auraka.

Atem then tried focusing on the sacred fire attack. He then shot a powerful golden fire from his fiery phoenix beak, destroying another boulder before he swooped down, gracefully landing in his original spot while his burning phoenix auraka disappeared in a wisp of golden smoke.

"Excellent work, my boy…" Aknamkanon exclaimed as he and the others rushed towards the dazed, young pharaoh as his auraka faded. "You did a fine job…. You have now mastered the auraka…. Now… you will discover the rest of your capabilities on your own….." He added as he ruffled his son's hair. "But know this…. You can only use one auraka at a time and not two at the same time…. so… when you are in one auraka and you plan to use the abilities of the other, you will have to shift to your other auraka…."

Atem nodded before he felt himself being patted while hearing his friends congratulating him.

"Man…. You sure are one cool dude…." Tristan stated as he gave Atem a noogie while the others were mock punching and patting him.

All of the sudden, an earthquake shook, making the others lose their balance while they all stared in fear as their surroundings became dark once more. Dark clouds covered the sun as the familiar lightning streaked across the now darkened sky. Purple mists appeared in the area filled with glowing eyes of Orichalcos and Shadow monsters emerging out of the dark mists, surrounding the fighters. The scar on Atem's cheek started glowing, making the young pharaoh collapse, amidst the startled and worried allies, while gritting his teeth as white hot pain seared through him.

"LET'S GO….. NOW" Aknamkanon bellowed as he summoned his Sacred Phoenix while taking hold of his son.

Everyone started summoning flying monsters as the enemy monsters neared them, destroying the vegetation, tearing down their tent, and turning the pond into a dark tar-like substance that released some Liquid Ooze monsters.

Yugi summoned his Curse of Dragon. He then got on top of it and made it fire a flamethrower at a bunch of Orichalcos Soldiers that were about to attack his parents. James summoned his Kiryu and helped Selena on top of the long necked, red dragon before taking off.

Rebecca summoned her Luster Dragon number two and blasted a Flame Ghost charging at Mokuba who was grabbed by Seto Kaiba as the CEO got on top of his Blue Eyes White Dragon.

Raphael jumped on top of Alister's Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon after his Guardian Elma destroyed a Hinotama Soul while Valon flew on his usual battle suit, destroying an Orichalcos Soldier that grabbed Grandpa Mutou's leg. As soon as he was released, Grandpa Mutou took off on his Darkblaze Dragon with Professor Hawkins flying at his left atop his Metal Dragon shielding Tristan from the Flying Kamakiris as he rode on his newly summoned Punished Eagle.

Duke was on top of his Gray Wing, activating a spell card, Megamorph, strengthening the wind dragon as it destroyed a Medabat and a Pale Beast while Tea was flying next to him atop her Diamond Dragon, firing at a bunch of Orichalcos Soldiers that took off after them.

Joey was riding atop his Red Eyes Black Dragon with Serenity while he commanded the black dragon to destroy a Crass Clown that sprang on them. Ishizu was riding on her Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress, shooting down the annoying Insect Soldiers of the Sky while Mai, atop her Harpie's Pet Dragon was aiding Pegasus in destroying more than a dozen Tongyos that charged at him and his Queen Bird from every direction.

Marik was atop his Luster Dragon with Odion who summoned his Garuda the Wind Spirit to destroy the approaching monsters while Ryou, who finally got some strength and courage, rode on top of his summoned Komouri Dragon while blasting a Crawling Dragon with his Dark Necrofear.

Priest Seto was atop his White Dragon, shielding Aknamkanon while Priest Mahaad and Mana were flying nearby in their Ka forms firing spells at the monsters that were catching up to them.

The Atlantian spirits were atop Dartz's Thunder Dragon, defending their allies as the monsters continued to attack them.

As they successfully managed to shoot down the monsters tailing them, they all saw a gigantic, green lightning shooting down, emitting a freakish green light as it smashed into something far away in the ocean….

"Something tells me…. That our enemies are hiding there…." Aknamkanon stated. He gazed at his son, who was now feeling fine as the mark on his cheek stopped glowing. Atem nodded back at him and turned to face his comrades. All were wearing serious and determined faces as they gave him a nod, a sign that all of them have the same intention. Everyone then headed towards the place where the lightning shot down….. Getting ready to face the combined evil…


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Operational Definition of terms for this fic:**

**Ka- spirit power (shadow monster) inside a person: ex: Dark Magician Girl**

**Ba- original person housing the Ka (source of existence of the Ka): ex: Mana**

**Auraka- combination of the Ba and Ka; a.k.a Ka Form**

* * *

**The Most Powerful Servants of Zorc and the Leviathan**

The sky was dark once more, constantly streaked with green lightning. The winds became brutal and were constantly blowing hard on the fighters who stayed strong. Yugi and the gang were riding atop their monsters, heading for the place where they spotted the gigantic green lightning land in an explosion of green light, the North Atlantic Ocean. They were flying at top speed, passing by the darkened and semi destroyed landmarks of Egypt's neighboring countries.

"This is horrible….." Mana stated shakily as she flew next to the Sacred Phoenix. She was in her auraka. Basically her outfit was that of her Ka, but the Dark Magician Girl's blond hair and fair skin were replaced with Mana's original tanned skin and brown hair that fell askew all over her face as she crossed her arms over her chest, covering her pentagram as she neared Atem who was still riding with his father since Aknamkanon refused to let him off until he felt that he was really alright….

Suddenly out of the darkened surroundings, Orichalcos monsters, soldiers, and shadow creatures charged at them from every direction, launching their attacks as Yugi and crew neared the coast line. Fortunately, Yugi and crew were not caught off guard as they countered the monsters that charged at them.

"SACRED PHOENIX….. ATTACK" Aknamkanon roared as the phoenix charged an attack while swerving its head, destroying the Orichalcos soldiers in the front line of the enemy's army. As the front liners were destroyed, countless more monsters rushed forth, preparing to shoot them down.

"FATHER…YOU WILL HAVE TO TRUST ME…." Atem yelled amidst the monsters' screeching and hissing as the attacks collided with his friends' attacks.

Aknamkanon gave him a nod and a smile. Atem smiled back and immediately jumped off the golden phoenix while emitting the golden auraka of his Winged Dragon of Ra that immediately burst into golden flames, turning into his burning phoenix form. He immediately swerved to his right to avoid a blast from a Maju Garzett before countering the obnoxious demon's attack with a fiery blast from his beak. He then flew towards Mana, who was fighting a lot of Masked Dragons that were ganging up on her. Mahaad was trying his best to get to her, but a bunch of Spirit Reapers were blocking his way.

"MANA….. BRACE YOURSELF….."

The young mage looked back to see Atem in his burning phoenix auraka firing an attack. She closed her eyes, thinking that she was going to be burned by the flames that engulfed her and her attackers but to her surprise, she did not even feel a thing, she was not even damaged while her attackers were destroyed by the sacred fire….

"What???? You thought I was going to blast you????" Atem asked in mock outrage as he neared Mana who just folded her arms and gave him a smirk…

"Oh…. I know you won't blast me…" She replied as she stared at Atem, still awed at his majestic, burning phoenix auraka. "It was just instinct…. and don't blame me….it just takes time to get used to it……" she added as she got on her friend's fiery back…. She was surprised that the fiery feathers did not even hurt and felt more like silk.

"I can choose who I want to burn… remember???" Atem reminded her gently as he flew off at top speed, with Mana riding atop him. As more monsters charged at them, a blazing fire surrounded them, like a shield, and burned away every monster that attempted to near them.

As the fiery shield faded, Mana jumped off and fired her dark burning attack at a bunch of Lekunga that grabbed hold of Pegasus, Valon, Chris, and Sky who were behind them. Her blast managed to free Valon and Chris while Atem fired another sacred blast that burned all the Lekungas, releasing the ones being entangled by its vines.

"Thank you, lovebirds…." Pegasus called as he landed on his newly summoned Different Dimension Dragon and flew off towards Joey and the others while Valon caught Chris in his armored arms. The two gave them a smile while the wolf howled his thanks. Atem smiled, though not really visible in his fiery beak but showed through his eyes, while Mana grinned at them before they both flew off to Yugi, Tea, the Ishtars, and the Egyptian Spirits who were dealing with five pumped up Orichalcos Gaigos.

The Atlantian princess, after thanking Valon, jumped off him and landed on her newly summoned Skull Red Bird and flew off with her bewitched wolf flying by her side as they destroyed a bunch of Pitch Black Dragons that came their way while Valon bullet punched a cowardly Crass Clown that attempted to attack him from behind before flying towards Raphael and Alister.

Everyone was now in battle. Yugi's father, James, was blasting some Spear Dragons with his Kiryu while Selena was riding with her husband, shielding him with her Hysteric Fairy and Injection Fairy Lily from the Orichalcos Soldiers that were attacking from behind while Duke, Grandpa Mutou and Professor Hawkins attacked from the areas Selena and James couldn't cover.

Mai, atop her Harpie's Pet Dragon, Joey atop his Red Eyes Black Dragon with Serenity, Pegasus atop his Different Dimension Dragon, and Tristan, atop his Punished Eagle, were watching each other's backs, commanding their monsters to attack the two Ultimate Obedient Fiends that charged at them and their allies.

"WE COULD USE A LITTLE HELP OVER HERE…." Joey yelled as he and the others dodged the combined blasts of the two gigantic fiends.

"WE'RE A LITTLE BUSY AT THE MOMENT" Atem yelled back while he, still in his burning phoenix auraka, together with Yugi, Tea, and the Egyptians were flying around five gigantic Orichalcos Gaigos that were constantly trying to swipe them away as they fired their attacks that were not doing much damage against the three virtually indestructible beasts.

"TRISTAN… WATCH OUT" Serenity screamed as the Ultimate Obedient Fiend fired an attack at one of his monsters.

Tristan's Cyber Commander was destroyed by one Ultimate Obedient Fiend as it fired its deadly attack, making him flinch in pain. Just a few seconds after the attack, a Shadow Ghoul jumped at him.

"THIS IS SOOOOO NOT MY DAY" Tristan yelled as he shielded himself.

Before the monster could even strike, a ghostly blast destroyed it. Tristan looked towards the source of the blast to see Ryou atop his Komouri Dragon, waving at him while his Dark Necrofear continued to fire attacks at charging enemies.

"ALRIGHT GUYS" Joey called as he summoned a lot of monsters. "LET'S FINISH THESE BOZOS OFF"

Serenity commanded her St. Joan, Soul of Purity and Light, and her Cure Mermaid to aid her brother's Jinzo, Gilford the Lightning, Red Eyes, and Panther Warrior together with Pegasus' Different Dimension Dragon, Reliquished, Blue Eyes Toon Dragon, and Toon Summoned Skull in attacking one of the gigantic fiends, successfully destroying the monster while Mai's Harpie Lady Sisters, strengthened by her Harpie's Pet Dragon and her magic card, phoenix formation, together with Tristan's Punished Eagle, Swamp Battle Guard, and Lava Battle Guard and Ryou's Komouri Dragon, Dark Necrofear, and newly summoned Rude Kaiser destroyed the second Ultimate Obedient Fiend.

A lot of Orichalcos Soldiers and Shadow Creatures charged at them after they defeated the two gigantic fiends, making them group together as they sent out counter attacks in every direction.

"THESE GUYS SURE DON'T HAVE GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP" Joey yelled sarcastically as he blasted one of the Orichalcos Soldiers with his Jinzo.

"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP AND FIGHT????" Mai snapped as she destroyed a Black Land Fire Dragon with her Cyber Harpie.

"Ok…. Shutting up….." Joey mumbled as he activated his magic card, Scape Goat to shield Bakura and Tristan from two Orichalcos Soldiers that charged at them from behind.

Dartz, Ironheart, Chris, and Sky were destroying the monsters that were attempting to attack their allies from unguarded areas.

"THERE'S SO MANY OF THEM…." Chris cried as she destroyed a Witty Phantom. "WE CAN'T KEEP THIS UP FOR LONG"

Behind them, an Exodia Necros appeared out of the darkened sky and launched an attack.

Grandpa Mutou was atop his Darkblaze Dragon, commanding the dragon, his additional Neo the Magic Swordsman and Feral Imp to attack the Exodia Necros. He successfully blocked the blast that was about to hit the Atlantians. As soon as the Atlantians were saved from the attack, another Exodia Necros appeared behind him and destroyed his Feral Imp, making the old man yell in pain as he clutched his chest.

Before the Exodia could finish him off, a nightmare steel cage trapped it, courtesy of Professor Hawkins atop his Metal Dragon while James and Selena on top of James' Kiryu and Duke atop his Gray Wing blasted the other Exodia with their monsters' attacks. Professor Hawkins, Yugi's parents, and the Atlantians rushed towards him, watching each other's backs as they faced two Exodia Necros.

Kaiba was atop his newly fused Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon while Mokuba flew beside him on his Tyrant Dragon. Mokuba finally mustered the courage as he commanded his brown dragon to fire at an Orichalcos Soldier that was grappling with Rebecca's Luster Dragon, blasting the darkness soldier into bits.

"MOKUBA….. KAIBA…. BEHIND YOU" Rebecca shrieked as she watched a gigantic monster firing a green ringed blast at the brothers who successfully dodged it, making it hit the water.

The three of them stared at the Orichalcos Shunoros that began to charge another attack. The statue like monster released another blast that they all dodged again. Kaiba then desperately tried to recall how he and Atem faced this monster, hoping to find a way to beat it as he and the others dodged another one of its ringed attacks.

As Mokuba was flying away from one of the Shunoros' blasts, two gigantic hands grabbed him and his dragon.

Rebecca and Kaiba, upon seeing Mokuba and his dragon in the clutches of Orichalcos Dekshia and Aristeros, rushed towards him but were blocked by the Orichalcos Shunoros. Kaiba was becoming desperate to save his brother when he saw a blinding light exploding from behind the Orichalcos Dekshia, making it release Mokuba.

"MOKUBA…" Kaiba cried desperately as he immediately charged towards his falling brother. As he caught him, he saw the source of the white light that saved his little brother's life.

The three former Doma minions were behind the now destroyed Dekshia. Alister ordered his dragon and his other machine monsters to attack Orichalcos Aristeros. It was then followed by Raphael's Guardian Grarl, Elma, and Aetos that launched a second attack. When Valon charged in for his attack, he successfully destroyed Aristeros, releasing Mokuba's Tyrant Dragon from its shattered clutches.

"We were once servants of the Orichalcos…." Alister stated as he noticed Kaiba's shocked features. "We were taught how to cover for its weak points….." He, Raphael, and Valon then released a combined blast towards the Shunoros, making it explode in a green light.

"what the???"

As the Orichalcos Shunoros was destroyed, a red and black swirling portal took its place, revealing the Divine Serpent, one of the Leviathan's most powerful minions.

"I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU WERE TAUGHT WHERE ITS WEAKNESSES WERE???" Kaiba bellowed as he and the others scattered as the Divine Serpent launched its attack.

"WE NEVER EVEN EXPECTED THIS TO HAPPEN…." Valon cried back as he fired some missiles at the serpent. "WE ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS MONSTER"

"THAT'S THE DIVINE SERPENT…. THE MOST POWERFUL OF ALL THE LEVIATHAN'S SERVANTS"

They all looked back to see Dartz, his family, James, Selena, Grandpa Mutou, Duke and Professor Hawkins rush towards them from the two exploding Exodia Necros.

"THE ONLY WAY TO BEAT IT…." Dartz continued as he settled next to Kaiba and the former Doma servants. "…IS TO ATTACK IT WITH A MONSTER THAT HAS INFINITE POWER…."

"WHERE CAN WE FIND A MONSTER WITH INFINITE ATTACK POWER???" Valon cried as he and the others scattered, avoiding the powerful attacks from the serpent.

Kaiba suddenly had a realization as he attempted to blast the serpent with his Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon and his other monsters. He looked to his right to see Atem and the others about to destroy the three remaining Orichalcos Gaigos.

"PHARAOH ATEM…."

Dartz and the others stared at him, not believing that he finally called the young pharaoh by his name and title…. And asking him for help….

After destroying the Gaigos, Atem, still in his burning phoenix auraka, heard Kaiba's call. He turned his majestic, fiery head towards Kaiba and the others. Upon seeing the Divine Serpent, he immediately rushed towards Kaiba, knowing what to do and ready to help them destroy the powerful serpent.

As Atem neared them, he immediately shifted to his blue auraka while the rest followed him, summoning more monsters to cover for him as a bunch of enemy monsters charged at them.

Kaiba, Dartz, and the others gave the young pharaoh a smirk before they got out of his way, knowing what's going to happen.

"HERE….. TAKE THESE…" Kaiba barked as he summoned his Kaiser Seahorse and Battle Ox

Atem smirked at him as he took the two monsters, absorbing their power and launched an attack that was immediately blocked by the Divine Serpent's counter attack.

"KISHIDO SPIRIT" Kaiba roared as he activated the magic card… sending the power towards the pharaoh, while the others fired long range attacks at the serpent.

Thanks to Kaiba's magic card, the pharaoh successfully destroyed the Divine Serpent without destroying himself even though they had the same attack power.

Everyone cheered as they watched the Divine Serpent explode in a green light but their celebration was cut short when countless enemy monsters charged at them from every direction. They continued to fight and fend the monsters off when a loud voice echoed from their left.

"Target locked….…."

They all looked to their left, shocked at what they saw.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Techno Alliance**

"SCATTER"

Everyone need not hear Kaiba's warning to immediately get out of the gigantic missile's range just in time to watch it make a huge explosion, destroying the monsters caught in the blast.

"IS EVERYONE HERE????" Atem asked anxiously, his blue auraka flaring brightly as he gazed around, checking that every ally was present.

Upon seeing everyone had made it out of the blast safe, he calmed down… "…thank goodness."

They all turned their attention to the source of the missile. Hundreds of navy ships, jets, and helicopters were coming towards them.

"Target locked….. FIRE THE SECOND MISSILE"

A second missile rushed straight at them, ripping through the dark mists that hovered above the ocean

"SOMEONE'S GOTTA TELL THEM THAT WE'RE ON THEIR SIDE" Tristan yelled as he and the others scattered. "BEFORE THEY BLAST US TO BITS…."

Without warning, Kaiba immediately rushed passed him atop his Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

"BLUE EYES….. COUNTER ATTACK…." He yelled as the three headed dragon sent out a powerful blast that destroyed the missile…

Meanwhile…. inside the leading ship….

"Captain, the second missile was destroyed by a three headed dragon…" an officer called as he approached his captain. "Should we prepare another launch???"

Before the captain gave out an order, he suddenly noticed something atop the white dragon. "Give me the binoculars…." He said sternly as he held his hand out to the officer….

The officer did as he was told. He watched his captain looking through the binoculars. The captain then put down the binoculars, shocked at what they had almost done…

"STOP THE ATTACKS" He called to his startled crew. "TELL THE OTHERS TO STOP ATTACKING….." He continued as he looked out of the deck. "THE ONES LEFT ARE OUR ALLIES….….."

Back at Atem and the others….

"Looks like they have stopped…." James pointed out as he and the others noticed the ships halting, while the jets landed and the helicopters hovered harmlessly in front. One of the helicopters flew towards Yugi and crew, stopping in front of them and opening its side door.

"SORRY FOR THE MISUNDERSTANDING" The captain yelled apologetically amidst the helicopter's noises. "WE THOUGHT YOU WERE ONE OF THE ENEMY"

"WELL… YOU THOUGHT DEAD WRONG" Joey yelled back as he pointed a finger at the captain angrily. "YOU NEARLY BLASTED US TO BITS"

The captain just rubbed the back of his head in an apologetic manner before beckoning everyone to follow him. Atem and the others followed the chopper that landed onto the leading carrier that also happened to be the biggest of the carriers. The jets were parked neatly at the sides while some people were attending to them.

Upon landing, Atem's auraka faded in a wisp of blue smoke. The others jumped off of their monsters, calling them back as they landed.

"Once again… I apologize for the misunderstanding…" The captain repeated as he got down the chopper. "I most definitely can't forget you….. After all…. you were the ones who fought with the leader of Paradias while we escorted you there…" He added before he stared at the unfamiliar faces. "I see that you have expanded your team, including members with really strange fashion sense." He stared at Atem and the other spirits who just maintained their serious faces.

"YOU" The captain suddenly shouted while pointing a finger to Dartz. "You were the one who was behind the Orichalcos….." He added amidst the others' protests… "Guards… arrest him…"

Around twenty soldiers surrounded the Atlantians who tried to reason with them as they took a hold of Dartz. Before they were about to drag him away, Atem stood in their way, his signature determined yet piercing gaze etched across his handsome yet scarred face.

"It was not his fault…" Atem started. "The Orichalcos took control of him…. It used him as its pawn….." He turned around, gazing at the captain. "He is on our side now….."

"Very well…." The captain stated as he stared at the young pharaoh, shocked at his genuine and confident statements and, since he focused his attention on him, a little bit confused at why he was wearing ancient yet majestic clothing. He shook the confusion off as he gestured the soldiers to release Dartz who just stared at Atem, amazed at the way the young pharaoh stood up for a former enemy.

As the soldiers walked away from Dartz, the Atlantian king approached Atem and, to everyone's surprise, he got down on his knees and bowed low, kissing the young pharaoh's feet.

"Father….." Chris whispered while Ironheart just stared at his son with pride.

"whoa….." Joey exclaimed quietly as he and the others stared at the unbelievable homage of a king to another king happening in front of them.

"….That is a sign of respect….." Ironheart stated quietly but catching the others' attention. "The greatest kind of respect a person, especially a king, can ever give to someone…. Let alone to a fellow royal…. It takes a lot of courage to do that…."

"Thank you so much for your kindness, Pharaoh Atem…" Dartz whispered to a surprised pharaoh whose eyes widened as he subconsciously backed away out of surprise. "After everything I've done to hurt you…. You still consider me as your ally…." He added as he stood up.

"It's not what you've done that matters….." Atem stated calmly as he regained his cool. "It's what you will do that counts….."

"Well said, my son…" Aknamkanon stated softly as he patted his son's shoulder while beaming at him. He and everyone else were impressed and proud of the young pharaoh who never ceased to amaze them all with his wise and kind yet brave and strong personality.

"Sir, we have received a strong signal coming from the northern part of the ocean…" an officer stated, catching everyone's attention as he approached the captain who was still standing in front of Yugi and crew. "It seems to be the source of this disturbance….."

"Then----" He was cut off as the waves turned brutal, rocking the carrier sharply.

Everyone started panicking, holding on to anything that could prevent them from losing their balance. They watched in horror as the dark, lightning streaked skies became even darker while more lightning shot down the ocean, destroying many of the ships, jets, and choppers while creating electrified tidal waves that smashed at many carriers, making some burst into flames as they sank. Monsters started emerging from a huge dark portal that appeared in the sky and started charging at them.

The navy started fighting back, firing at the monsters. Some of the squadrons that survived the lightning and the tidal waves took off, shooting down some monsters that were firing at some of the ships.

"WE HAVE TO SEAL THAT PORTAL" Shadi bellowed as he transformed into his Ka form.

Atem immediately used his red auraka while the others summoned their monsters or transformed into their Ka forms. They then flew towards the portal where all kinds of monsters were pouring out and charging at them.

"I'M GETTING REALLY SICK OF THESE SLIMEBALLS" Joey roared annoyingly as he commanded his Red Eyes to destroy a group of Lekunga that was about to cling onto the dragon.

They resumed what they were doing before. Atem was in his red auraka, firing thunderbolts at a group of charging Orichalcos Soldiers while using the rest of his serpentine auraka to shield Yugi, Tea, and Rebecca who were cornered by a group of Maju Garzett that fired an attack at them.

"THANKS PARTNER" Yugi called while the others smiled at him as they watched the red serpentine auraka lash at the Maju Garzetts, destroying the beasts before they could even launch an attack.

Atem smiled at them before flying off towards his family and the other spirits who were trying to create a barrier to close off the portal.

Yugi's parents were aiding Grandpa Mutou and Professor Hawkins who were busy dealing with a bunch of Shadow Ghouls while, a few meters from them, Pegasus, Mai, Ishizu, Marik, and Odion were watching each other's backs as they shielded themselves from an all out attack launched by a pack of Tri-horned Dragons. Kaiba, Mokuba, Joey, Serenity, Duke, Tristan, and the former Doma servants were trying force the monsters back into the portal while Atem and the other spirits were doing their best to close the portal before it emitted a green glow, catching everyone's attention.

Suddenly, the mark on Atem's face started glowing green and black fiercely, making the young pharaoh grip the offended cheek as searing pain coursed through him. He felt as if a million white hot daggers pierced him slowly. His auraka disappeared as he lost control and plummeted towards the ocean.

"ATEM"

Aknamkanon atop his sacred phoenix dove under his son, catching him before he slammed into the brutal waves.

"Father…. I'm alright…" Atem lied as he reassured his anxious father while desperately trying not to scream from the excruciating pain he was feeling from the now glowing scar on his face. "Everyone…. Don't worry about me… we have bigger problems…." He continued as he watched his allies nearing them.

Everyone had worried looks on their faces as they approached Atem and his father. They were all nervously wondering if he really was alright when a shrill cry echoed around them as the dark portal started to emit strong green lightning.

"NOW WHAT???" Joey cried as he and the others stared at the dark blob that was emerging from the portal.

"**If you don't want us coming to you….." **A demonic voice boomed as countless dark tendrils burst out of the blob and grabbed Atem, Pharaoh Aknamkanon, and everyone else who were fighting using duel monsters and magic. The dark tendrils destroyed their summoned monsters, making them all wince in pain.

"YOU JUST HAD TO ASK…." Tristan bellowed sarcastically as he and everyone else, including Atem and the other spirits struggled against the tendrils that wrapped around them, binding them tightly. Atem and the other spirits tried to use their magic, but to no avail. They then heard a deep yet piercing hiss echoing around them.

" _**We'll let you come to us…."**_ the hiss continued as green light shined from the portal while the dark tendrils pulled the struggling Atem and crew into the dark abyss.


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Shadow Prison**

"Yugi…. Yugi…. C'mon man…. Wake up…."

Yugi felt himself being shaken awake. As he opened his eyes, he saw Tristan, Tea, Rebecca, and his parents and grandpa looking down on him.

"What…. happened…." He mumbled, dazed, as he stood up and looked around. "Where are we???"

He and the others were in some sort of shadowy place. There was nothing around them but endless shadows and purple mists that seemed to be moving like the clouds up in the sky. He saw his allies, dazed and confused, wondering on what to do…

He saw Kaiba trying to shield Mokuba from whatever he expected to jump from the shadows. Alister, Pegasus, Raphael and the Atlantian Spirits were trying to feel around the shadows, only to find that the shadows were endless. Joey, Marik, Ishizu, Odion and Valon were comforting Mai who was clutching the sides of her head, tears escaping her eyes as she recalled the last time she was here, trapped in an hourglass. The Egyptian spirits were grouped together, frightened yet determined looks grazing their tanned features.

He then realized something….. Someone was missing….. He opened his mouth, about to ask the uneasy question when the elder pharaoh's deep voice echoed around them, saying what has also been bothering him and silencing him before he could even speak his mind.

"HAS ANYBODY SEEN ATEM????" Aknamkanon stated frantically as he looked around.

Everyone had a look of fear etched across their angry and confused faces as they finally pieced together what happened.

"The demons must've separated him from us when they captured us….." Yugi concluded as fear and unease plagued him and everyone else.

"THEN WE GOTTA FIND HIM" Joey roared as he summoned his Red Eyes Black Dragon and commanded it to attack the shadows only to find that the attacks simply disappeared, absorbed by the darkness. "OH… C'MON….."

"DON'T WORRY ATEM….. WE'RE COMIN FOR YOU" Tristan bellowed as he ran towards the shadows, only to end up back with Yugi and the others. "WHAT IS THIS FREAKIN PLACE????"

"We are in a Shadow Prison…" Shadi stated, catching everyone's attention. "The only way to be able to get out is to destroy the prison from the outside…."

"Since we're all inside, how else can we destroy it???" Yugi asked, shuddering as he prayed that he will not hear the answer he dreaded.

"We can't….." Shadi answered hopelessly. "No matter how hard we try…. It will never be destroyed from the inside….."

"**Your turbaned friend is right…. There is no escape…."**

Everyone started looking around for the demonic voice that echoed around them.

"SHOW YOURSELF" Mahaad roared as he and the other ancient Egyptians raised their arms over their chest defensively.

A silhouette of Zorc appeared behind Yugi, making the latter jump from shock as he stared straight at the demon's red eyes glowing in the dark shadows.

"**Trying to escape is a waste of your strength"**

"RED EYES…. ATTACK THAT FREAKIN CREEP" Joey bellowed. His dragon immediately obeyed, firing a red energy ball towards the demon.

The demon just chuckled as he felt the attack go through him but not doing any damage as it was absorbed by the shadows. **"….. as your friend has said…. you can't destroy the shadow prison from the inside…."**

"WHERE'S ATEM???" Aknamkanon bellowed at the demon while everyone poised themselves, ready to attack or defend themselves.

"**I believe it's the Leviathan's turn to have a little fun with him"** Zorc stated evilly as he eyed Aknamkanon. **"…do not raise your hopes up…. You will never see your son again…. He is ours now….."**

After that statement the demon just laughed as he disappeared, leaving a very angry and upset Aknamkanon and a mad Yugi and crew.

"You will pay…." Aknamkanon mumbled through gritted teeth as he and the others stared angrily at where Zorc disappeared. "You will pay… for hurting my son…."

"Don't worry Atem…." Yugi whispered, a determined expression gracing his face as he watched the demon disappear. "We will save you…"

Meanwhile… outside the Shadow Prison…

Atem felt himself being thrown into the wall by the Leviathan's dark tendrils. He was back in the dark chamber where he was held before. Thousands of Orichalcos Soldiers and Shadow Creatures were around him and the gigantic serpent, nearing the beaten pharaoh who was prevented from fighting back by the serpent's dark tendrils and the searing pain caused by the scar on his face that kept on glowing.

He felt himself being grabbed by a thousand hands. He felt weak, he couldn't even move for every part of him was being restrained by both the Orichalcos Soldiers and the glowing mark on his cheek.

"Let….me…..go….." Atem barked angrily as he felt himself being dragged towards the Leviathan, who shrunk itself a bit to be able to witness what the pharaoh will be put through.

The young pharaoh tried to struggle against their grip, only to feel searing pain from the glowing scar on his cheek, stopping his constant struggles as he was thrown down in front of the Leviathan.

"_**Fighting back is useless, pharaoh…."**_ The Leviathan hissed evilly as it coiled its serpentine torso that was twice the width of a grown man around the struggling pharaoh. _**"There is nothing you and your friends can do to stop us" **_the serpent continued as it started to tighten its grip on its victim, slowly choking the young pharaoh. _**"Eternal suffering is what's destined for you"**_

The serpent then threw the young pharaoh down _**"I want to see him suffer….. make him feel pain he never felt before….. make him regret going against us…."**_ The serpent ordered its minions as its Orichalcos Soldiers grabbed hold of the gasping pharaoh and dragged him towards some chains, reels, and other torture devices emitting strange green lights.

_No….._ Atem moaned _Not again….._

Back in the Shadow Prison….

"There has to be another way out….." Priest Seto grumbled as he was atop his white dragon, trying to find even the smallest light amidst the endless shadows. "There's just gotta be…."

He and the others were going circles around their prison only to find themselves back where they started. They even tried launching multiple attacks that only ended up being absorbed by the darkness but that never stopped them. They were determined to find a way out. Even if they already used everything they had in their power only to find that it did not even make the slightest dent on the shadow prison.

"Our attacks are useless….." Aknamkanon started as he looked around, critically examining their prison. "Maybe if we use a------" He was cut off as a piercing cry echoed around them, making them all jolt in surprise as they recognized the voice of the pained cry.

They frantically tried to find a way to escape, desperate to save their companion, whose screams became louder as they heard a cracking lash somewhere outside their prison. Everyone has summoned their monsters, making the summoned creatures attack in every direction, hoping that it will weaken the wall but to no avail. The spirits started to use every spell and charm they knew while their living comrades used every bit of magic and trap cards they had to try breaking the wall down but that still did not work. The screams got louder as they heard countless cracking lashes somewhere outside the untouchable shadowy walls.

"PARTNER……" Yugi screamed as he summoned his Silent Magician and commanded it to blast the untouchable shadowy wall that simply absorbed the attack.

"ATEM" Mana cried as tears fell from her eyes. She transformed into her Ka form and desperately fired attacks that were simply absorbed by the shadows.

"ATEM…. STAY STRONG…" Aknamkanon shouted as he looked in every direction frantically trying to find from which direction the screams were coming from… "DON'T SUCCOMB TO THEM….. STAY STRONG…. WE'RE COMING……"

"**You shouldn't make promises you can't keep"**

Aknamkanon and the others spun around to see Zorc's silhouette in the shadows. His glowing red eyes piercing through the darkness as he watched Atem's companions fume with rage.

"WHERE'S ATEM….." Aknamkanon bellowed as he and the others got ready to attack. "DON'T MAKE ME ASK TWICE…"

Zorc just chuckled as he watched Atem's father and companions boil with rage.

"**Amazing….. you know that there is not much you can do yet you still manage to threaten me….. Guess this proves the truth in the saying 'like father like son'……."** Zorc sneered as he watched the elder pharaoh's expression go from rage to pure fury.

"IF YOU EVEN LAID ONE DISGUSTING CLAW ON HIM….." Priest Seto retorted as his white dragon and Duos charged their attacks…. "WE WILL-----"

"**You will what….."** Zorc interrupted as he narrowed his grotesque eyes…. **"Attack me????? Go ahead the shadows will just absorb your pathetic attacks……"**

Priest Seto just gritted his teeth upon hearing the demon. He knew better than to waste his strength on useless efforts. He and everyone else had tried everything, yet nothing worked. He closed his eyes in defeat, his dragon and Ka monster immediately stopped charging their attacks.

"Do not be discouraged, Seto…."

Priest Seto looked to his right to see the elder pharaoh. His eyes also seem to accept what the demon just said about the shadows absorbing their attacks but he retained hope.

"Everything has a weakness…." He whispered determinedly, focusing his eyes on everyone around him. "Look around you Seto…. No one is giving up hope…."

Aknamkanon was right. Everyone still had determined looks on their faces, especially Yugi whose tearstained face was still burning with determination. They were still driven by what they knew they should do.

Priest Seto looked back at his uncle, his expression changed from defeated, to hopeful as he nodded at his uncle who gave him a small smile as they resumed facing Zorc in front of them.

Zorc just narrowed his eyes once more as he gave a chuckle. **"Your stubbornness amuses me…"** He started as he formed a swirling black spying orb out of the shadows. **"It seems that some of that pesky pharaoh's stubbornness has rubbed off into all of you….. Let's see if he has any of that stubbornness left….."**

Aknamkanon and the others were shocked as the dark spying orb revealed Atem hanging in chains, glowing white shards and liquid littered his dangling form and his surroundings.

He was constantly being lashed by the serpent, making him scream while glowing white shards and liquid spilled from him, scattering in every direction.

"ATEM"

Zorc just laughed as he watched the pained and angered expressions on their faces as they watched Atem constantly enduring the kind of torture he was being forced through again.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

_/mind link with summoned or Ka monster/_

**I seem to be going overboard with the gory scenes…… so… to prevent any accidents….. and possible trauma…. WARNING… FULL OF GORE AND TORTURE… THIS IS JUST A STORY… DO NOT TRY THIS FOR REAL…..**

**

* * *

**

**The Power of a Hairball**

Atem was hanging his head low, weakened as he was forced to suffer once more. His hands were tied behind his back while a long chain from the center of the ceiling was shackled onto his wrists. The other end of the chain was inserted through a screw at the center of the ceiling and was brought down and reeled behind him.

The Orichalcos Soldiers were constantly reeling in the chains, pulling the young pharaoh by his shackled wrists, making him scream as he felt his arms dislocate from the extreme tension. One of the Orichalcos Soldiers attached some heavy weights onto the young pharaoh's bound ankles, dislocating his mangled arms further as the weights pulled him down while he was being pulled around fifty meters off the stone floors of the demonic dungeon. The strappado torture was already unbearably and excruciatingly painful but the pain was still being magnified by the scar on his face and the beatings, making the young pharaoh constantly cry out in agony.

"_**How does it feel?? To have nothing but pain and suffering……" **_The Leviathan hissed as it coiled itself around the struggling and screaming pharaoh. _**"…Don't you just want to end it all???? make the pain go away???"**_ The serpent hissed as it wrapped itself around Atem. It slowly crushed the young pharaoh in its serpentine embrace, making Atem sputter spirit blood as his screams turned into harsh rasps.

The Leviathan watched the tortured young pharaoh, enjoying the sight of Atem's current state. The poor pharaoh's pupils shrunk into tiny amethyst dots as the pressure became even more unbearable. His chained hands behind him were twitching while the rest of his form was constantly shuddering as the combined pain rocked his very core. The scar on his cheek continued to glow fiercely while glowing white liquid trickled out of his nose and his half open mouth as the serpent continued to coil itself tightly around the suffering pharaoh.

After some torturous moments, the Leviathan uncoiled itself off the young pharaoh. Atem hung his head down limply as he was left dangling in his chains high up. He was panting and gasping as the demonic snake released him but the pain from the strappado was still unbearable and the weights made it a whole lot worse. Tears unconsciously trickled down his anguished eyes. His form was blinking weakly once more as his limbs and torso that were mangled from the constant lashing and stabbings were seeping glowing white liquid that fell to the spirit blood stained floor.

He felt a cold slithery force going under his chin, pulling his face up to meet the Leviathan's serpentine eyes.

"_**I'm waiting for your answer……"**_ The serpent hissed impatiently as it tightened its grip on Atem's chin, making sure that the pharaoh's pained face was visible to the serpentine eyes in front of him.

"No…. matter…. what you throw…. at me….." Atem gasped as he struggled to make his voice sound strong and unbent amidst the searing pain while looking straight into the serpent's eyes. "I… will never…. succumb…. to your evil….."

The serpent chuckled as it released its grip on the pharaoh. _**"Zorc Necrophades was right….. you are very stubborn…..**_**"**The Leviathan then moved the tip of its tail towards Atem's scarred cheek, stroking the shuddering pharaoh's face. _**"We'll see how long you can keep your strength up….."**_

After that statement, the mark on Atem's cheek suddenly glowed brighter than usual. White hot pain stabbed the pharaoh from every direction, making him cry out in agony once more while the serpent simply chuckled at his suffering.

"_**My..my…my… you are stronger than I expected…" **_The Leviathan hissed as it watched Atem trying to bite back the pain as he locked eyes with the serpent in front of him. _**"Your friends were not much of a threat….. But you….if we never captured you…. you would have been a hindrance to our plans….."**_

"What…. have…. you… done to…. the others???" Atem asked, his voice shaking and weak from the pain but he managed to make his tone loud and confident.

"_**They are just around…. Imprisoned somewhere…." **_The Leviathan answered cruelly as its gleaming serpent eyes narrowed dangerously. _**"You should not concern yourself about them…. Your fate is worse than theirs…."**_

The serpent shot three of its sharp dark tendrils straight at the bound pharaoh who could do nothing but close his eyes. The tendrils stabbed right through him, ripping through his back, making him scream while white spirit shards and blood splattered everywhere.

The serpent just laughed as it pulled back its tendrils from the tortured pharaoh. Atem though weakened, managed to lift his head up and stare at the serpent, his amethyst eyes still burning with hope and determination. His chained hands behind him were clenched into tight fists as the weights latched onto his chained ankles intensified the pain while the rest of his form was mangled and covered in spirit blood

_My friends….. my family….._

_If I were to be trapped like this…._

_I don't want them to be dragged down with me…._

He closed his eyes, focusing on every bit of strength he has left, his scar glowing fiercely, preventing him from unleashing his true power.

_The demons may have disabled me from using my powerful magic…._

_But I can still use my small forms of magic…._

Atem was deeply focusing on the small bits of magic that remained unsealed, making a small golden glow, as big as a creampuff, appear twenty meters behind the Leviathan's right eye. The golden glow suddenly grew into a rather small ball of brown fur with yellow eyes and green claws.

Atem smirked slightly as he successfully summoned his Kuriboh without being noticed.

…or so he thought…..

"**As I have said before….. escaping is futile….." **

Zorc came from behind Kuriboh. The small hairball cringed as it looked back and saw the demon looming over it. Zorc then grabbed the fuzzball and crushed it, destroying it in his clawed hands.

Atem felt no pain from Kuriboh's destruction, thanks to its ability but he felt the scar on his face emit a searing pain that made him scream once more. He then felt a serpentine force squeezing him unbearably.

"_**YOU FOOL…. YOU THINK A MERE HAIRBALL CAN STOP US????"**_ The Leviathan shrieked in outrage as it lashed its dark tendrils at the pharaoh, making Atem scream once more as more white shards and blood spilled from him. _**"ARE YOU UNDERESTIMATING OUR CAPABILITIES????? IF SO…. LET ME REMIND YOU OF WHAT WE CAN DO TO YOU"**_ The serpent continued as it commanded its minions to resume yanking on the chains, adding to the pharaoh's agony while the Leviathan blasted the bound and helpless pharaoh. Atem screamed as he felt himself being burned, electrocuted, choked, crushed, ripped, lashed and stabbed while Zorc just watched. Atem's piercing screams of pain were like music to the demon's ears while he and every other evil creature enjoyed every moment of excruciating torture the pharaoh was forced through.

Soon after what felt like an eternity of pain for the pharaoh, the Leviathan stopped its brutal assaults. It eyed the pharaoh's very weak blinking form with pleasure. Once again, Atem fell limp from the attacks. His form mangled and almost covered in glowing white spirit blood that fell onto the dungeon floor. His breath came in very harsh rasps as he felt pain all over him.

Then the same slithery force went under his chin, pulling his anguished and beaten face up. The Leviathan and Zorc were looking at him evilly.

"_**Look who's finally broken….." **_The Leviathan hissed as it neared the tortured pharaoh…. _**"Guess you are not as strong as you thought…."**_

"**How pathetic……"** Zorc stated with disgust as he placed a gigantic, demonic hand behind the pharaoh, holding him in his open palm as he stared at the pharaoh with distaste. **"I expected you to last a little longer…."** He spat as he tossed the pharaoh off, letting him dangle in his chains.

"_**From the looks of things…. he won't be much of a threat anymore….." **_The Leviathan hissed delightedly as it stared at the limp pharaoh dangling in his restraints.

"**Then let's go….. Now that he is out of the way, we can shroud this world in darkness…. We will resume tormenting him later…." **Zorc concluded as he and the Leviathan and their minions disappeared in a swirl of black smoke…

The chamber was now empty. Only the sounds of Atem's harsh rasps and spirit blood constantly falling on the stone floors are heard.

_Finally…. _Atem thought as he stopped feigning the defeated look on his face while weakly smirking at the thought that his plan worked and at the same time squinting his eyes from the searing pain that continued to plague him… _I thought they would never leave…._

He lifted his head, soaked in glowing white, to look at his left. He was hanged fifty meters off the dungeon floor, at the center of the circular hall. The edges were lined with serpentine pillars, emitting freakish red lights from their eyes. One of the pillars started emitting a small golden glow at the side of the snake statue's head. From behind the pillar, out came Kuriboh.

Before Atem summoned Kuriboh, he already saw Zorc behind the serpent. The young pharaoh, as crafty and cunning as he usually was, had a plan. He purposely summoned Kuriboh right in front of Zorc, making the demon destroy the hairball. Just as Zorc was crushing the hairball, Atem silently cast a dimension hole spell at the same time making use of Kuriboh's multiply ability. The demon thought that he destroyed the only Kuriboh when in fact, through the furball's multiply ability, there were two Kuribohs and, thanks to the spell, the real one was transported to a safe distance while the token was destroyed.

The brown hairball anxiously rushed towards its master, desperately trying to release him from his bonds.

"There is no time…." Atem stated weakly as the brown hairball was nuzzling him in a comforting manner while trying to chew his restraints off. "Go find the others…. Quickly…."

The brown hairball, though saddened, obeyed its master's commands. It gave a cute little salute before levitating through one of the corridors, out of Atem's sight to look for Yugi and the others.

As Kuriboh left, Atem immediately used his shadow of eyes charm. Kuriboh was delighted when it felt its master's magic. The little brown hairball then continued its search through the freaky dark chamber that was the lair of darkness.

The surroundings were still dark and shadowy. Pillars in the shape of a winged demon with glowing green eyes lined the edges of the corridor. Kuriboh was frightened by the surroundings, but continued to push on, driven by the desire to save its master and strengthened by its master's encouragements.

Atem was closing his eyes, focusing on the shadow of eyes charm while mentally sending his Kuriboh commands and encouragements on what do, which direction to take, and to push on when a burst of red flames appeared at the sides of the circular hall, making the young pharaoh lose his focus as he stared at the gigantic demon appearing in front of him with his dark gremlins skittering back into the chamber.

Atem felt the chains lowering him to the ground, towards the nasty gremlins that were licking the spirit blood stained floor. The dark creatures grabbed hold of the tortured pharaoh as soon as he was within reach. They then started removing the chains and the weights while some started licking and biting his mangled form, making the pharaoh scream as he felt the sharp fangs sinking onto him. There was nothing much he could do but scream and struggle vainly against the little demons. He curled himself into a ball, hoping that it would lessen the pain even by a notch.

He suddenly felt a gigantic hand taking hold of him, making the little gremlins scatter away as Zorc brought him up, leveling the pharaoh's anguished face with his demonic eyes.

"**To think that you tried so hard to save them….."** Zorc started as he curled his fist around the pharaoh tighter as he brought him between two of the pillars. The demon waved his hand, making the shadowy walls swirl and reveal what was happening around the world. **"Take a good look at the world you risked your soul for, pharaoh…. It is crumbling before your very eyes….." **He added as he stretched his fist holding the pharaoh towards the shadowy portal, letting him see every form of destruction and anguish the world was going through. **"And… there is nothing you can do but watch helplessly as darkness devours the world…"** He sneered as he noticed the pained expression on the pharaoh's scarred face as he looked down on the illusion portal.

He saw many war tanks, jets, navy ships, and other fighting technology firing against a group of Orichalcos Soldiers, only to end up being destroyed by Shadow Creatures. He saw soldiers being attacked by the monsters. Men, women, and children running away from their homes as countless monsters destroyed the area.

"**All your annoying preaching about unity, friendship and teamwork had its benefits for us….."** Zorc sneered as he pulled the pharaoh away from the portal and brought him up to his face. **"The alliance I had with the Leviathan gave us both enough strength to rise again…."** He tightened his grip on the pharaoh, enjoying the look on Atem's face as he struggled against the crushing grip of the demon.

He threw Atem to the ground. The dark creatures immediately crowded on the young pharaoh, biting and sucking on him. Atem couldn't do much to fend them off. The glowing scar on his face prevented him from using his auraka, and besides, he was too weak to summon his legendary power as the demons have drained him of his energy through torture and the annoying mark they branded on his face. He was still bound. His hands were still tied behind his back while his ankles were still bound together.

He screamed as he felt the unbearable pain sear through him as the gremlins continued to attack him. He was screaming and squirming weakly, amusing the gigantic demon that sat on a throne that appeared out of the shadows….

Meanwhile…. Back to the little furball….

Kuriboh was shivering in fear. It felt its master suddenly losing the shadow of eyes charm. It knew its master was in pain but there was nothing it could do. It wanted to help its master, but its master was still mentally commanding it to search for the others despite the pain he was forced to endure and the screams he constantly let out, he still managed to reach the little hairball.

_/Kuriboh….._/ It heard its master stating through gritted teeth. _/no matter… what happens…. Keep searching for the others…. Once you find them….. release them from whatever is restraining them…../_ A sudden scream from the young master interrupted the telepathic message, making the little fuzzball shiver…. _/I know….you can do it…. You are stronger than how others see you….. you just need to believe in yourself…./ _Another scream came from the young pharaoh cutting off the message…. This time…. the master did not resume communicating with the fuzzball.

Kuriboh did not want to disappoint its master. It knew that the only way to save him was to free the others who were imprisoned somewhere in this chamber. It continued his search until it found something that made its yellow eyes shine……


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Epic Battle**

"There has got to be a way out of this dump…." Joey groaned as he scratched his head frantically. Ever since Zorc showed them what kind of pain Atem was being forced through, they had been coming up with plans to find a way to escape. There have been many tries, but none worked. They were still pacing around, trying to find something that could help them.

Priest Mahaad even tried his signature portal spell, only to find that it brought them back to right where they started.

"Effect monsters don't work…. Neither do attacks…… and magic and traps….. there's just gotta be a way we can get someone to destroy the shield from the outside." Yugi groaned as his trap card, Shift, failed. He then looked around the sides of the shadowy walls when he noticed something that sparked his hopes up. "GUYS… THERE'S SOMETHING MOVING OUT THERE….."

Everyone looked to where Yugi was pointing, true enough they saw a silhouette of a brown ball pacing outside their prison.

"It must be one of the freakin demon's cronies." Joey grumbled as he was about to stalked off when he heard Mana's screams of delight echo around them.

"IT'S NOT ONE OF ZORC'S MINIONS" She said loudly, making everyone give her a 'how-can-you-be-so-sure' look. "I KNOW THAT HAIRBALL ANYWHERE….. IT'S ONE OF ATEM'S MONSTERS…. KURIBOH…"

Upon hearing Mana's voice, the silhouette of the little puffball turned around, revealing its characteristic round yellow eyes. It bounced up and down with joy as it finally found where Atem's companions were being held.

"Kuri, kuri…" It cheered as it tried to tackle the shield.

"KURIBOH"

Everyone rushed to where the silhouette of the little hairball was settled, though they can't touch it, they were happy that they were at least near it.

"Atem must've sent it here…." Mana stated hopefully as she watched the fuzzball's silhouette jump with joy. "Kuriboh….." She started, addressing the little hairball that stopped bouncing and stared at her. "Is Atem alright????"

The hairball's yellow eyes just drooped, saddened as it shook itself.

"Oh…." Mana stated shakily as tears formed in her eyes, but she shook it off. She knew that Atem would want her to stay strong. And, since he managed to summon Kuriboh, he must be fighting back. She looked at everyone else who suddenly had hopeful faces as they finally realized a way to escape and get to Atem.

"Kuriboh…" Aknamkanon stated. "This prison can only be destroyed from the outside…. Since you are the only one outside…. You have to destroy this prison by attacking it with your signature attack…… Do you understand????"

The little hairball nodded, making everyone step back as it multiplied itself into countless little fuzzballs that spread out around the prison.

"I can't believe we're relying on a chocolate creampuff with eyes and claws to save us…." Kaiba sneered as he and the others watched the fuzzballs' silhouettes engulf the shadow prison.

Suddenly, every fuzzball exploded, destroying the prison, allowing Yugi and the others to escape.

"Thanks Kuriboh…." Mana whispered as she caught the original fuzzball whose eyes were swirling, dizzy from the impact from the attack.

"We have to go now…." Aknamkanon stated as he transformed into his Ka form, cladding him in Luster Soldier's armor. "I'm sure that the demons have heard the explosion…."

He and the others quickly ran out of the chambers. Mana has already transformed into her auraka. Priest Mahaad transformed into his auraka, cladding him in the Illusion Magician's robes. Priest Seto also activated his auraka, cladding him in Duos' armor. Shadi turned into Hassan while the others simply summoned monsters to aid them in fighting whatever will come in their way.

Sure enough, shadow creatures rushed at them from all directions, surrounding them as they grouped together to face the demons.

"YOU AGAIN…." Joey yelled at a Lekunga as his Jinzo charged an attack. "BRING IT ON"

The monsters then charged at the fighters who immediately released their counterattacks.

"WE HAVE TO GET TO ATEM" Aknamkanon yelled as he released a powerful purple blast from the tip of his sword, incinerating a dozen Hitotsumi Giants. "WHO KNOWS WHAT THAT DEMON IS PUTTING HIM THROUGH…"

Priest Seto rushed forward atop his blue eyes white dragon. Many monsters immediately charged at him when a Ring of Defense appeared in front of him, knocking off every monster that was trying to get to him. He looked back to his left to see Kaiba atop his Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, flying adjacent to him. Kaiba gave the high priest a smirk while the high priest returned it with a small salute. They then worked together, knocking off the monsters blocking their way and shielding the others behind them who were following them while destroying monsters that charged from unexpected areas.

Mana, with Kuriboh by her side, was flying on Kaiba's left while Mahaad was flying on Priest Seto's right. Both magicians were shielding the leading riders from monsters that attempted to attack them from areas they couldn't cover. Aknamkanon and Hassan were closely behind them, also destroying the monsters that kept on charging at them while everyone else followed, attacking enemy monsters with their monsters as they neared the exit of the corridor and the circular chamber.

The enemy monsters immediately ceased chasing them, making them wonder what made the creatures act like that. They slowly entered the chamber, passing through two pillars of demonic serpents with glowing red eyes, giving them the familiar eerie feeling as they entered the chamber

"This place really gives me the creeps…." Joey stated through gritted teeth as he and the others finally entered the chamber.

The first thing they saw was splatters of glowing white near the center. As they took a closer look, they saw an even more concentrated spill of glowing white splattered around the spirit blood stained young pharaoh who was unconscious at the center of the chamber.

They all rushed towards the young pharaoh, alert and worried as they neared him. Kuriboh immediately left Mana's side to nuzzle his master's glowing white liquid stained face, desperately trying to wake him up. They all knew that since he was a spirit, already dead, he couldn't be destroyed but seeing him in that state made them temporarily forget about that fact as they crowd around him.

The young pharaoh was unconscious. Glowing white liquid covered most of his form. His torso and his bound hands and feet were mangled and covered with his spirit blood. The scar on his face was glowing fiercely while his father propped him up gently.

"Atem….." Aknamkanon stated wearily as he raised Atem's head in his hand. "Please….. wake up….."

"Atem…." Mana stated shakily as she touched his scar while everyone else were standing guard while staring pitifully at the young pharaoh…. "Please be strong….."

"Partner…." Yugi gasped as he rushed towards Atem. "C'mon partner wake up…." He added as he and Aknamkanon undid the ropes binding the young pharaoh's bloodied wrists while Priest Seto cut the ropes binding Atem's ankles….

"You….guys….."

They all looked at Atem, happy as they saw him slowly opening his eyes.

"You…have to… leave… now…" Atem wheezed as he struggled to stand up. His father helped him up on his feet while Mana gave him a gentle hug.

"They're gonna pay….. for what they did to you, cousin…" Priest Seto vowed through gritted teeth.

"**You never learn…. Do you…."**

They all spun around to see Zorc appearing out of the shadows, his shadow creatures and dark gremlins appearing out of the sides of the circular chamber, trapping them at the center.

"ACTUALLY WE DO…. RED EYES ATTACK" Joey roared as his dragon blasted an attack towards the demon when a green blast got in the way. "WHAT THE"

"_**Thank you for coming together in one place…."**_ The Leviathan sneered as it coiled itself next to Zorc while its Orichalcos Soldiers appeared in front of the shadow creatures around the circular chamber… _**"Now we will destroy you altogether….Even though the spirits can't be destroyed, you will be weakened by what we will do to you all……" **_The serpent added as it charged an attack from its mouth and blasted Yugi and crew, who scattered just in time to evade the Leviathan's blast but were not so lucky when they got hit by Zorc's red blast, destroying Atem's Kuriboh and his companions' monsters while they were sent flying.

"GUYS…. ARE YOU ALRIGHT??? ANSWER ME…." Atem cried frantically as he struggled to raise himself up, watching the ones hit slowly staggering back up on their feet.

"**You should worry less about others and more about yourself……"** Zorc boomed as he made the scar on Atem's face glow more intensely, making the young pharaoh double back in pain.

"_**What better way to make you suffer…. Than letting you see your precious companions get destroyed before your very eyes……" **_The Leviathan spat as it intensified the pain in Atem's scar, pinning the young pharaoh to the ground as the mark on his face made him feel excruciating pain, paralyzing him and disabling his magic once more.

After that statement, the Orichalcos Soldiers and Shadow Creatures immediately charged at Atem's weakened friends as they tried to reach him. They just grouped together in front of the helpless pharaoh who desperately tried to fight the force pinning him down but to no avail.

He watched in horror as his friends struggled against the monsters. He saw Joey wincing in pain as his Alligator Sword was destroyed by a Zombie Dragon. He noticed Tristan desperately trying to struggle out of a kryuel's grip as his Giant Soldier of Stone was destroyed by an Orichalcos Soldier, making him scream in agony.

The Ishtars were down on their knees as a group of Tri-horned dragon destroyed their monsters while the former Doma servants were cornered, struggling vainly against some gremlins that clung to them. Professor Hawkins, Tea, Duke, Serenity, Rebecca, Mai, and Pegasus were screaming in pain as Leghuls sank their fangs on them while their monsters were destroyed by a pack of Dark Dusk Spirits.

"STOP…. LEAVE THEM ALONE…. I'M THE ONE YOU WANT…. JUST LEAVE THEM ALONE…." Atem cried desperately amidst his friends' screams and the demons' laughter while he continued to struggle against the force binding him.

He saw Kaiba pushing Mokuba out of the way as a Maju Garzett launched an attack, hitting the CEO instead who further screamed in pain as his XYZ Dragon Canon exploded from an attack delivered by a dozen Orichalcos Soldiers while the Atlantians were struggling against some Orichalcos Soldiers' grips.

He saw the Mutous cornered by a group of hungry Orichalcos Soldiers. Yugi and James were up front, defending the weakened Selena and Grandpa Mutou with Yugi's Gandora and James' Roaring Ocean Snake. Unfortunately, they were destroyed by the Leviathan's tendrils that stabbed them, making Yugi and James scream in pain as their monsters were destroyed. The Orichalcos Soldiers then neared them as they fell to their knees.

"NOOOOO….." Atem cried as he saw Yugi helplessly trying to break free from the monsters' grip. He looked back towards Zorc and the Leviathan, who were smirking at him evilly. "LEAVE THEM ALONE….."

"**You are in no position to give orders….."** Zorc boomed as he launched another attack at Atem's companions, **"We'll destroy them slowly…… That way you can spend more time watching them suffer"**

"ATEM"

Atem struggled to look to his left to see his ancient Egyptian companions rushing towards him.

"_**ah….ah…ah…."**_ The Leviathan hissed as it launched its dark tendrils at Aknamkanon and the others, binding them tightly as the serpent sent a shock through its tendrils, electrocuting the ancient Egyptians in front of Atem's eyes.

Atem watched in horror as he saw the ancient Egyptians' aurakas get destroyed by the attack reverting them back to their original forms. As the tendrils released them, they fell down, staggeringly weakened from the attack.

Tears fell from the young pharaoh's eyes as he watched his comrades suffer. He's been struggling against the force in the form of the annoying glowing scar that's pinning him down, letting him do nothing as he helplessly watched his companions beaten around right around him.

"**You always looked good whenever you suffer…"** Zorc hissed. He smirked at Atem's companions who all fell limp and unconscious as he neared the weeping pharaoh who just stared up at him with angry eyes.

"YOU DISGUSTING LOWLIFE…." Atem yelled, using every bit of volume his sore throat would allow.

Zorc just smirked as he grabbed Atem in his gigantic fist and brought him towards his demonic red eyes, amused as he watched the young pharaoh struggling against his grip.

"**You are the most stubborn pest I have ever known….."** Zorc sneered as he tightened his grip, crushing the young pharaoh trapped in his fist. He continued to watch Atem with delight as the young pharaoh struggled vainly against the demon. His eyes were closed tightly as he bit back the urge to scream from the crushing pain.

"**Take a good look around you…"** Zorc continued as he held his fist out, holding the young pharaoh above the center of the chamber, letting him see his weakened and mostly unconscious companions under some Orichalcos Soldiers' and Shadow Creatures' feet, preventing them from getting back up. **"There is no hope left for you, your allies, and the world…."** He added as he pulled the pharaoh back.

"You're wrong……" Atem gasped as he struggled to raise his voice, the scar on his handsomely tanned but spirit blood stained face still glowing. "There is still hope….. we will never give up….…."

"_**You've lost…… rant all you want…. But the fact remains….. you have lost….."**_ The Leviathan screeched angrily as it neared Zorc and the pharaoh in its clutches.

"**Save your breath…. Your words will fall onto stubborn ears…." **Zorc stated as he faced the gigantic serpent before throwing the young pharaoh down. **"He's all words now…… no bite… just bark…."** He added as he watched the young pharaoh struggling to stand up, only to fall back down as the pain was becoming unbearable, his glowing scar constantly sucking out his energy, paralyzing him and disabling his magic.

"YOU'RE WRONG"

The two great evil looked at the young pharaoh who was in front of them. Atem was slowly getting back up on his feet, his angry and determined amethyst eyes focused on the two creators of great evil.

"GOOD ALWAYS TRIUMPHS OVER EVIL……" Atem retorted as he struggled to maintain his balance, gritting his teeth as he endured the pain caused by the glowing green and black scar on his cheek. "WE WILL DEFEAT YOU….." With that statement, the glowing scar started to blink and weaken as the young pharaoh's determination strengthened him.

"_**ARROGANT FOOL"**_

The Leviathan charged its dark tendrils at the young pharaoh. The Orichalcos Soldiers and the Shadow Creatures hissed, roared, and screeched as both the serpent and Zorc were intent on torturing the pharaoh once more.


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**I would like to dedicate this chapter to our former president, Cory Aquino…… "Thank you for everything….. Your strength and bravery gave us our freedom!!!! You will always be remembered as a hero in our hearts……." "LABAN" **

***…….. L***

* * *

**Wonders of Light**

The Leviathan's tendrils shot straight at the pharaoh who just stood his ground. As the tendrils neared him, the pharaoh emitted a golden, red, and blue aura, preventing the tendrils from reaching him. The scar on his face completely stopped glowing, enabling the young pharaoh to summon his true power.

"_**What the….."**_ The serpent exclaimed, aghast that Atem's tri-colored aura shielded him from its attack.

"Like I said….. Good always triumphs over evil…" Atem stated as his aura glowed stronger, healing his wounds, and sending back the serpent's tendrils, making the evil creatures fall back as the tri-colored aura sent out a powerful shockwave.

"**Stubborn little whelp…"** Zorc snarled coldly. He fired a black and red energy ball towards Atem. Before the blast could even reach the young pharaoh, a mirror force charm got in its way, sending the blast back at Zorc who instinctively swiped the blast away, making it hit the Orichalcos Soldiers and Shadow Creatures at the demon's right.

"**NOOOO….."** Zorc roared upon realizing that he just destroyed a lot of his minions.

Atem was shocked yet hopeful upon seeing the rainbow barrier. He spun around, eyes shining with joy to see his allies, every one of them, getting back up on their feet as they destroyed the distracted monsters pinning them down, while Yugi, who activated the charm, smiled back at the young pharaoh.

"THESE BOZOS ARE GOIN' DOWN" Joey roared as soon as he got up, summoning his Red Eyes Black Dragon and many other monsters to aid his friend.

Everyone else, though weakened from the constant attacks, managed to summon monsters to aid the pharaoh as they were strengthened by their determination. Atem smiled at them all, especially when he saw Mana and the other ancient Egyptians transforming into their auraka and beaming at him.

"Everyone…. Thank you….." Atem stated softly

"Hey…. We're with you all the way, partner…" Yugi stated. He smiled at the young pharaoh and gave him a thumbs up. Everyone else also smiled at him and nodded in agreement as they all poised, ready for the final battle.

The young pharaoh, after seeing his friends and family alright, regained more of his strength and courage as he turned to look at the appalled Zorc and Leviathan levitating in front of them, their minions backing away from the intensifying lights emitting from Atem.

"THIS IS THE END FOR THE SHADOW REALM AND THE ORICHALCOS" Atem bellowed as he transformed into his red auraka. Together with his allies, he unleashed a powerful combined attack at both the Leviathan and Zorc, who just launched a counter attack.

"**FOOLS… IF YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP US WITH THIS PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR AN ATTACK, THEN YOU'VE COMPLETELY LOST YOUR SANITY"** Zorc boomed as he and the Leviathan pushed back the attack while their minions charged at Atem and the others.

Atem chuckled as his red auraka started wavering. "This is just the beginning of your end…..I have now realized my true power…. My true Ka…. Together with my allies' strength…. We will beat you"

"True Ka???? What's he talking about…… doesn't he already know that he has three Ka's….. and that he already knows who they are?????" Dartz asked dumbfounded as he and everyone else stared at the ancient Egyptians who just shook their heads, except for Aknamkanon who knew where his son was getting at…..

_Finally… _Aknamkanon thought as a smile formed on his lips…. _You finally figured it out…… You figured out how to unleash your true power….. all on your own….. I'm proud of you… My son….._

Everyone else still did not know what the young pharaoh was talking about, but they had complete faith in him, believing that he knew what he to do and what he was talking about as they continued, with all their strength, to shield Atem from the Leviathan's and Zorc's attacks, while the others were destroying the charging minions.

Atem's red auraka started blazing uncontrollably, as blue aura formed at the edges of the red aura while gold aura emitted at the ends of the blue aura, revealing the tri-colored aura once more. Suddenly the tri-colored aura started blazing uncontrollably, replacing the three colors with a very illustrious white aura. White lights shot from the aura emitted by the young pharaoh, revealing the three divine monsters, Obelisk, Slifer, and Ra.

"**I'VE DEFEATED THOSE MONSTERS ONCE….."** Zorc retorted as he blasted the Obelisk. **"I CAN DO IT AGAIN"**

Before Zorc's attack could hit Obelisk, the blue divine monster was suddenly surrounded with white aura, shielding it from Zorc's attack.

"**WHAT IS GOING ON????"** Zorc asked as he also noticed Slifer and the Winged Dragon of Ra emitting the same white aura while the Leviathan hissed at the three glowing Ka monsters spitefully.

"In the name of the pharaoh, I rejoin the three separated parts of my Ka, Obelisk, Slifer, and Ra to form my true Ka……The Creator of Light, HORAKHTI" Atem chanted loudly as the three divine monsters that were now completely engulfed by the white aura came together and formed the majestic and powerful Creator of Light, Horakhti, Atem's true Ka. Horakhti's illustrious light blinded and destroyed most of the demons' minions, making the ones left fall back.

"So this explains it all…" Priest Seto started as he and everyone else stared at the majestic angel in front of them. "Atem only has one Ka, Horakhti, but his Ka is divided into three parts, Obelisk, Slifer, and the Winged Dragon of Ra. His three divine monsters were just parts of his true… powerful Ka."

"**I WILL NOT BE BEATEN AGAIN…" **Zorc shrieked as he launched an attack at the shining angel in front of him. Before the attack could reach Atem's Ka, Atem suddenly started emitting a white aura while Horakhti was engulfed by her white aura as she transformed into a white orb and shot at Atem, engulfing him and everyone else in blinding white light.

As the blinding white light faded, everyone stared at Atem who was clad in elegant, glowing silver and red armor with flaring silver and red robes similarly structured like the Dark Magician's robes. He had gigantic golden wings behind him while a golden crown shaped in Ra's head covered his hair. A blue staff, about one meter in length, was resting in his right hand. The tip of the staff was in gold and shaped like an eagle's head with an amethyst orb resting atop it and supported by two slender extensions coming from the sides of the eagle ornament's head.

The scar on Atem's cheek healed. His face now handsome and flawless once more as the mark/scar disappeared completely while white light surrounded him, making the demons' minions back away from him and the others as he stared straight at Zorc and the Leviathan who both launched their attacks.

Atem just stood his ground as he watched the attacks draw nearer. He held his palm out, easily dissipating the attacks before it reached him and his companions. This feat shocked everyone. The demons drew back, not expecting the pharaoh to be this powerful.

"OH YEAH…" Joey cheered as he and the others were awed by Atem's power. "WAY TO GO ATEM….."

Atem immediately focused his energy, making the amethyst orb glow brightly as it charged power. Before the demons could even react, the young pharaoh unleashed a powerful amethyst blast that destroyed every single one of the Leviathan and Zorc's minions. As the blast was heading straight for the two creators of darkness, both Zorc and the Leviathan released their counter attacks, colliding with the young pharaoh's blast at the center of the chamber. The impact sent powerful shockwaves that made everyone else hold on to something as the force was strong enough to knock them all flying.

"IF THIS KEEPS UP….. WE'LL BE LIKE BUGS ON A WINDSHIELD" Tristan roared as he and the others held on to anything that can prevent them from being blown away.

"WE NEED TO HELP ATEM…. WE HAVE TO LEND HIM OUR STRENGTH" Aknamkanon stated as he turned towards his son. "ATEM….. HOLD YOUR FREE HAND TOWARDS US….."

The young pharaoh did as he was told. He held his palm out to his allies, immediately realizing what he needed to do.

"NOW…. WE NEED TO SEND AS MUCH OF OUR POWER TO ATEM…." Aknamkanon cried as he summoned his Hieracosphinx, Little Chimera, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, and every monster his strength allowed him. He even separated himself from his auraka in order to summon his Black Luster Soldier. He allowed the summoned monsters to turn into glowing orbs that rushed straight at Atem. The golden orbs were absorbed by the young pharaoh through his open palm, strengthening his power.

Everyone else mimicked the elder pharaoh's move, summoning as many monsters as they could, allowing them to turn into golden orbs and rush straight at Atem

"YOU CAN DO IT PARTNER…. WE KNOW YOU CAN" Yugi cheered as he watched his Gandora turn into a golden orb that immediately rushed into Atem's open palm.

The young pharaoh felt himself getting more powerful as his allies' strengths boosted his power. The amethyst blast became more intense, successfully pushing against the dark and green blast coming from Zorc and the Leviathan.

"_**You will not triumph without a loss….."**_ The Leviathan spat as it shifted its attack towards Yugi and the others who were helplessly clinging to the pillars.

"OH NO YOU DON'T" Atem bellowed as he focused on every bit of power he had in him, increasing the width of the amethyst blast, making it block the Leviathan's attack as it continued to rapidly push against Zorc's and the Leviathan's attacks.

The two creators of darkness used their full power, attempting to push back the amethyst blast that now covered almost half of the circular hall but their power was not strong enough as the amethyst blast pushed straight through the attacks, hitting the two creators of darkness.

Both Zorc and the Leviathan shrieked as they were engulfed in an amethyst fire, dissipating as they were completely destroyed by the sacred royal flames.

"YOU DID IT-----" Yugi was cut off as the ground shook while the entire evil lair was crumbling to dust as the evil forces retaining them were destroyed.

"LIKE I SAID BEFORE….. WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE OR WE WILL BE LIKE BUGS ON A WINDSHIELD" Tristan as they all rushed towards Atem who was now engulfed in his burning phoenix auraka as he flew towards his allies who immediately jumped on top of him.

"Is everyone here?????" Atem asked as he arched his head towards the people riding on his back, making sure that all of his allies were already with him before taking off. As soon as he found that everyone was present, he immediately took off, agilely dodging the falling debris that came crashing down.

"IT'S A DEAD END" Duke yelled as he pointed out the shadowy wall at the end of the chamber.

"Then we blast through it" Atem answered as he fired a powerful blast from his fiery beak, blasting a hole out of the demons' lair, letting him fly out into the open, while Yugi and the others atop him looked back to watch the portal suck all the darkness and evil it spread.

The navy watched in awe as the darkness disappeared. Everywhere around the world, people looked up in the skies, cheering as they saw the welcoming blue skies released from the shadowy and lightning streaked clouds that were being sucked away. They were all happy as the darkness was lifted and shocked as their homes went back to normal, not destroyed, as if nothing happened, as the destruction of darkness also took away its destructive marks on the landscape.

They saw all the monsters and Orichalcos Soldiers, from far away, get destroyed as they were sucked in the swirling portal. The purple mists and the dark lightning streaked clouds were also being sucked in, revealing the original blue skies and clear view. As the last bit of evil darkness was sucked, the black portal exploded, dissipating in the sky as it was completely and permanently destroyed.

Everyone cheered as they watched the portal disappear from the sky. Yugi and the others, still atop the young pharaoh in his phoenix auraka were sharing congrats talks, hi fives and handshakes with each other. Of course they would not leave the young pharaoh out. Everyone patted, hugged, and stroked the young pharaoh's fiery back while giving him compliments that the young pharaoh returned by saying that he could not have done it without their help. Even Kaiba decided to give the young pharaoh a congrats pat on his fiery phoenix back. He denied it as others cheerfully pointed it out, claiming that he just wanted to find out whether the fiery feathers were more like silk or velvet.

Atem has spotted a lovely island just below him. He gently landed on the island's sandy coast. The others jumped off him and watched as his auraka disappeared in a wisp of golden smoke while the strengths they lent him returned to them all in the form of glowing orbs. The young pharaoh was wobbling slightly as his auraka disappeared before completely losing his balance. Everyone rushed towards him while Yugi, Aknamkanon, and Mana caught him before he hit the sands of the island.

"You ok partner???" Yugi asked as he, Aknamkanon and Mana supported Atem who just looked at them all, a smile gracing his handsome and now flawless face.

"Don't worry… I'm alright…" Atem stated cheerfully as he managed to stand up on his own, making the people around him smile with relief. "Thank you so much for lending me your strengths…." He added as he looked around.

"Atem…. You are still too modest…." Mana stated softly as she held Atem's cheek, stroking the now flawless face of the young pharaoh. "I'm glad that you are alright…. And that the annoying mark those demons branded on your face finally disappeared…. Don't get me wrong…. You're always handsome and cute, no matter what…. But now that the annoying scar is gone…. You're back to having your handsome, cute and usual flawless features….." She mused, making the young pharaoh fluster while everyone else just laughed and cooed. "I'm glad… that…we can now be together….." Mana continued as she stroked the young pharaoh's face while Atem held her free hand in a very loving and gentle way as he gave her a smile before he felt a sudden force pulling him into a headlock, courtesy of Joey.

"DUDE… YOU WERE AWSOME…" Joey exclaimed as he gave the young pharaoh a noogie…. "YOU DID IT…. YOU FINALLY SMASHED THOSE FREAKIN BOZOS"

"We did it together…." Atem clarified while straightening up as Joey released him from the headlock. "We all did…." He added as he stared at the others who smiled at him.

1717171717171717171717171717171717171717171717171717171717171717

"Atem"

The young pharaoh spun around. To his surprise, he saw his father, his cousin, and Shadi in one side while Mahaad and Mana were on another side. All were smiling at him while a golden portal was opening in the space between them, revealing the Afterlife…..

Before he knew it, he felt a gigantic lioness atop him, nuzzling his face while a small fennec fox licked his cheek, making him laugh as he stood up.

"Mata….. Sadja….. I'm glad to see both of you again." Atem exclaimed as he hugged the large lioness and the small fennec fox. He stood up, only to be nudged back down by his white, Arabian Steed, Abtik. The horse started nuzzling the young pharaoh, making everyone else give out comments about being good with animals.

"You must be one hec of an animal lover…" Joey commented as he and the others smiled as they watched Atem being nuzzled, and licked by his pets before standing up as his pets stepped aside.

Pure joy radiated from him as he watched a lot of familiar people stepping out of the portal.

He saw his mother, Queen Seliotem, rushing towards him, locking him in a tight embrace. She had long and straight tri-colored hair that reached down behind her abdomen. Her long black hair had magenta rims at the sides and tips while her long and wispy bangs were, like Atem's, in a beautiful shade of gold, making her tanned face and her beautiful blue eyes even more radiant as she gazed at her son.

Atem stared back at her, tears of joy forming in his eyes as he finally saw his mother, who passed away when he was just a little boy. He immediately returned the hug, making his mother smile down at him. Aknamkanon approached his family. He gave his wife a small kiss and laid a hand on his son's shoulder, creating the perfect happy family sight, making the others smile as the Egyptian royal family embraced each other, happy to be reunited.

As the royal family straightened up, Atem's eyes radiated with even more joy as he saw everyone he knew back in ancient Egypt smiling at him. He saw Shada, Karim, and Isis bowing at the royal family with genuine smiles on their faces as they finally relished the thoughts of having the young pharaoh finally having his well deserved rest. Shimon gave a small nod. Even Akhenaden was there, beaming genuinely as he finally saw his nephew again and Kisara was standing next to Aknamkanon's brother, to Priest Seto's delight.

The look-a-likes of the new arrivals shared shocked stares, but they soon shook it off as they watched and smiled at the young pharaoh who was very delighted to be with his own-time companions.

Behind the new arrivals was the portal leading to the Egyptian Afterlife. The sun was shining brightly and comfortably, illuminating the lush vegetation and beautiful, natural landscape of the Ancient Egyptian Kingdom. Thousands of people were applauding and chanting the young pharaoh's name, welcoming him home.

A bright green glow caught everyone's eyes. They all spun around to see Dartz, Chris, Sky, and Ironheart standing in front of the Atlantian Afterlife. Dartz's wife was waving at them from inside the portal while around her was the beautiful temples and vegetation of the Atlantians.

"We'll be off now….. You better take care of yourself this time, Pharaoh….." Dartz stated as he and his family waved goodbye.

"If anything takes over you again….. you know who to call….." Joey stated jokingly as he approached Dartz and, to everyone's surprise, gave him a noggie.

"I'll keep that in mind…" Dartz answered playfully as Joey released him from the headlock.

"THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING" Yugi called, followed by mixed words of thanks and gratitude from everyone at the same time.

"GOODBYE….. AND TAKE CARE……" Shadi called as he also waved at the Atlantians.

"THANKYOU FOR EVERYTHING….. HAVE A GOOD REST…." Atem called as he and everyone else waved goodbye to the Atlantians who stepped through the portal that immediately disappeared as they finally went back to the Atlantian Afterlife.

"Now…." Aknamkanon stated gently as he beamed at his son. "It's our turn to go….."

Atem smiled as he nodded back at his father and the other Egyptian spirits around him.

The thought of leaving his modern day friends for good made him feel upset, but the thought of finally being with his family and his own-time friends in the place where he should be drowned his sadness away.

He felt happy, overjoyed, and excited that he will finally get to be where he should be, unfortunately he will be missing Yugi and the friends he made in this era terribly. He knew that he must go to the spirit world, where he truly belonged. He wanted to be with the people of his own time, the ones he grew up with in ancient Egypt. He has long accepted the fact that he did not belong with Yugi and his friends.

Atem looked back to face his friends. All were smiling at him. Everyone was encouraging him to do what he truly wanted…… to be with his family and his own-time companions. Even his closest friends were smiling at him through tears that spilled from their eyes.

Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea approached Atem who also neared them. All five of them had tears in their eyes as they realized that this was their final goodbye.

"So this is it……" Yugi choked as tears streamed down his face. "This is goodbye….."

"After this….. We'll never see each other again….." Tea added as tears fell from her cerulean eyes.

"After everything we've been through…… this is it……." Joey added as he rubbed his eyes…..

"Apparently so…." Atem added as he let his tears flow freely from his eyes as he held his hand out. "Thank you so much for everything, all of you……. You've done so much for me……"

Yugi, suddenly overcome with his emotions, rushed towards the young pharaoh and hugged him, burying his face on his chest… "I'LL PROMISE I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU, PARTNER…."

He was soon followed by Tea, Joey, and Tristan who also hugged the young pharaoh. All five of them hugged each other while the others just watched, smiling as the close friends were trying to make the most of their last moments with the young pharaoh.

After some precious time, they released each other from their group hug. Every modern day ally now neared them, even Kaiba, preparing to take their turns to say goodbye to the young pharaoh who made such a big difference in their lives.

They all patted and mock-punched him, and ruffled his hair, saying their goodbyes and sending their best wishes to the young pharaoh and the other ancient Egyptian spirits, who were patiently waiting, letting Atem spend some more time with his modern day friends before leaving for the afterlife. Even Kaiba, to everyone's surprise, patted the young pharaoh's shoulder while telling him that he acknowledged his skill and power and that he will always consider him as his top rival, making Atem smile at Kaiba, who surprisingly returned it with a rare small yet genuine smile.

After the final goodbyes, Atem approached his family and the other ancient Egyptians, while waving back at his modern day allies. He stopped in front of his parents, who beamed at him.

"Your mother and I are very much proud of you." Aknamkanon stated softly, placing his hand on Atem's shoulder as the other ancient Egyptians gathered around the royal family, greeting the young pharaoh while his pets were nuzzling him. "You've done so much good…. We are all witnesses to your pure and strong heart." He added before he gazed at Atem's modern day friends who were still waving their goodbyes.

"BYE ATEM…… STAY OUT OF TROUBLE" Joey called jokingly.

"IF YOU EVER THINK OF SACRIFICING YOURSELF AGAIN….. WE'RE GONNA GET YOU AND KNOCK SOME SENSE INTO YOU" Yugi added, making everyone laugh. "SERIOUSLY"

"BYE ATEM….. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING….." Tea called.

"DON'T FORGET TO WRITE" Tristan added half jokingly and half seriously. "IF YOU CAN"

"GOOD BYE GREAT PHARAOH ATEM…… MAY YOU FINALLY REST IN PEACE TOGETHER WITH YOUR FAMILY AND ANCIENT FRIENDS." Ishizu called as she and everyone else were waving their goodbyes.

All the other goodbyes combined together, becoming difficult to understand as everyone started saying their different goodbyes in unison, but Atem and the other leaving spirits understood their message as the young pharaoh turned to face the portal.

The young pharaoh felt a soft force encircling his right arm. He looked to his right to see Mana, holding on to him while smiling at him gently. He felt his father's hand on his shoulder and his mother's hand on the back of his neck. He looked up to meet his father's amethyst eyes and his mother's aquamarine eyes beaming happily at him. To his right, behind Mana, He sees Shimon, Shadi, and the ministers, all were beaming at him. Mata, the lioness was nuzzling his hip while Sadja, the small fennec fox was resting on his head. Abtik was already inside the portal, waiting for his master amidst the applauding and smiling spirits in the Egyptian Afterlife.

"You ready???" Aknamkanon asked while Atem looked back and waved goodbye, for the last time, to his modern day friends, who had already accepted the fact that he has to go. He then focused his eyes on his father once more as he nodded.

"Then let's go" Seliotem whispered gently as they all walked right into the portal leading to the afterlife, crossing the boundaries between the living and the dead.

Upon going through the portal and stepping on the sands of the Afterlife, Atem was amazed to see all the people gathered out to meet him, applauding and chanting his name. The palace was clearly towering behind all the spirits greeting him. It was the same as he remembered it.

A little girl approached Atem, tugging his tunic, getting his attention.

"Thank you so much for releasing us from the shadows, Pharaoh Atem." The little girl stated innocently before bowing low and running back towards her happy family, amongst the crowd, making the young pharaoh smile as he remembered making such a great sacrifice, trading his soul to release them. Now he was free, they were all free…. thanks to his friends and family.

He was finally in the real afterlife, the place he thought he would never see….. He noticed the golden portal close behind him, separating the world of the living from the Afterlife, the place where he, his family, and his own-time people and friends were in and where they will find their rest.

"You don't know how long we have waited for this time to come." Aknamkanon stated gently as he, followed by the others, led Atem towards the afterlife Egyptian Palace. "Welcome home, my son….."

The young pharaoh stared at his father who gave him a smile. He looked to his right, smiling happily at Mana who was still clutching his arm.

"Finally…." Mana started as she rested her head on Atem's shoulder. "We can finally be together….. and don't worry….. you'll get to see Yugi and the others once in a while…" She added as she smiled at her childhood friend truthfully

Upon hearing her words, Atem's eyes widened with surprise and delight. "How??? I thought----"

"How do you think we got to you, you little midget" Priest Seto added playfully as he ruffled his cousin's hair, making Sadja jump onto Atem's arms.

Atem looked at his parents hopefully. His parents gave him warm smiles, making Atem radiate with even more joy.

"Why didn't you tell me, Yugi, and the others???.... you made us all think that we will never see each other again" He added as he stared at his parents, the ministers, and the others who just smiled genuinely at him.

"Oh…. Don't you want to surprise them????" Mahaad answered playfully as he nudged the young pharaoh gently, making Atem laugh as he understood his point…

"… you get to visit them…. With our permission of course….." Seliotem added as she stroked her son's back as they went through the palace gates.

"…But now… you've got a lot of catching up to do." Aknamkanon stated cheerfully as he placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "We really missed you and your crazy antics…." He added as he ruffled Atem's hair while the others laughed gently.

The young pharaoh smiled at him and everyone else, happy that he finally got the rest he deserved and to be with his family and own-time friends in the after life, the spirits' resting place…… He gazed up into the clear skies, sending a message to some very special people.

Back at Yugi and the others……

Atem's modern day allies watched as the portal closed, disappearing in front of them, separating the world of the living from the spirit world.

"Good bye Atem….." Yugi whispered

"YOU DID IT"

Yugi and the others spun around to see a large chopper land at the shoreline. The captain jumped down the chopper and approached Yugi and crew, taking his hat off to them.

"I knew we could count on you…." He continued as he beamed at Yugi and crew. "Where are your other comrades….. They also deserve a proper thank you." He added as he looked around, trying to find the ancient spirits.

"They left early….. had some other things to take care of….." Yugi answered as he and the others simply smiled at each other. "…..Wherever they are, I'm sure they will get the message…."

The captain nodded as he watched his fleet in the distance before turning back to face Yugi and crew. "You will be rewarded for all your great efforts…. As far as we are concerned, you and your other comrades are now heroes…." He added as he beckoned them to follow him.

"ALRIGHT" Joey cheered. "DOES THIS MEAN WE CAN HAVE A FREE ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET??….. I'M STARVING" He added as he ran after the captain while everyone just sighed as they walked after him.

"MAN….. After everything we've been through….. he still never forgets about food…" Tristan whined as he scratched his head while following Tea and the others aboard the chopper.

Yugi just laughed as he got in the chopper before he heard a sound carried by the wind, making him smile to himself as he heard the familiar voice of a young and heroic pharaoh they had befriended.

"_Thank you, my friends…… thank you for everything….."_

"Don't worry, Yug. We heard that one…" Joey assured while settling down next to Mai.

Little Yugi snapped out of his trance like state as he stared at all of his friends, including Kaiba. All of them had smiles on their faces.

He smiled back at them as he and the others looked over to where the portal disappeared.

"You're welcome, Atem…" He stated loudly as the doors closed and the chopper took off into the sky.

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Friendships and family ties can never be separated even by the greatest barriers…..

Even sealed fates never remain sealed from friends and family…..

This is what the heroes have realized from their recent experience……

The Ceremonial Battle's

Truly shocking…..

And…..eye-opening……

……Revelation……

FIN

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Whew…. This was one really long novelette….….. My sequal to Bayleef's Silent Sacrifice…….So that's it….

Atem is now with his own generation, resting in peace in the Afterlife, happy that he can visit Yugi and the others while being with his family and own-time friends. Yugi and the others live their everyday lives happily……. it's a happy ending…..

You're probably wondering what the '171717171717171717…' was for, right??? Well let me explain….. It means that music will start playing. In this fic, the Meet the Robinsons soundtrack, Little Wonders, by Rob Thomas. If you want to feel some emotions while picturing the said part out, listen to that soundtrack…. It was really heartwarming, for me…..

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! and Meet the Robinsons.

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If there's anything you don't understand....check my profile, I've elaborated my ideas there....or send me a message.....

Read and Review Plz…..

Paalam......for now

D17


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